The Federal Government has decided to distribute 76,000 electric bikes among government employees as part of efforts to reduce Pakistan’s growing oil import bill. The move comes amid rising international crude oil prices, which have increased pressure on the country’s foreign exchange reserves and fuel import expenses. Officials said the proposal prepared by the Engineering Development Board is currently awaiting final approval from the Prime Minister’s Office.
Under the proposed scheme, the government will provide a subsidy of Rs80,000 on each electric bike. According to officials, Rs30,000 from the subsidy amount will be paid to banks as interest support, while the remaining Rs50,000 will be transferred directly into the applicant’s bank account after successful processing and verification. The initiative aims to encourage environmentally friendly transportation while reducing dependence on imported petroleum products.
The plan follows recent approval by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for a draft proposal designed to provide electric bikes to selected categories of government staff. Authorities believe the initiative will help employees manage rising transportation costs while supporting the government’s broader clean energy and electric vehicle adoption strategy across Pakistan.
According to the eligibility criteria, government employees whose salaries are processed through the Accountant General Pakistan Revenues system will qualify for the scheme. Applicants will be required to submit an AGPR verification letter during the application process. Officials clarified that no personal guarantees will be needed to apply for the subsidy or installment plan.
The government has also reserved a special quota for journalists under the scheme. Unlike government employees, journalists will receive electric bikes through a self-financed model instead of the installment-based subsidy arrangement. Authorities further announced that a separate quota for female journalists will be introduced during the second phase of the project to encourage greater participation.
Officials stated that the subsidy amount will only be released after the electric bike is officially registered in the applicant’s name. The first phase of the initiative reportedly faced verification problems because the National Database and Registration Authority encountered technical difficulties while verifying some applicants. Despite these issues, subsidies were successfully distributed to nearly 40,000 citizens during the earlier phase of the program.
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