The National Chamber of Photovoltaic Energy and the Tunisian Renewable Energy Professionals Association have called on the Tunisian parliament to remove customs duties on solar equipment. In an open letter dated October 8, 2026, the two professional organizations requested that parliament intervene to completely remove customs duties and taxes on basic equipment and materials for renewable energy, including photovoltaic panels, solar collectors, batteries, and energy storage systems.
The request comes as the parliament prepares to examine the 2027 finance bill, which the government must submit to the assembly by October 15, 2026, in accordance with constitutional deadlines. The two organizations also called for reducing the value-added tax rate on these equipment to 7%, which they believe would help lower the final cost of investment in solar energy and make it more accessible to households and businesses.
According to the National Chamber of Photovoltaic Energy and the Tunisian Renewable Energy Professionals Association, the transition to renewable energy is no longer an option or just an environmental trend, but an economic, strategic, and security necessity. They stressed that there is a need to accelerate the development of renewable energy, particularly solar energy, and enable households and businesses to produce and consume electricity locally.
The two organizations believe that increasing reliance on renewable energy can help reduce dependence on traditional energy sources and enhance national energy decision-making sovereignty. They emphasized that tax and customs policies should be used as tools to accelerate the energy transition, rather than representing an additional factor that increases the cost of investment in this field.
The National Chamber of Photovoltaic Energy and the Tunisian Renewable Energy Professionals Association pointed out that reducing the cost of equipment would enable more citizens and businesses to invest in solar energy, either to reduce their electricity bills or to secure part of their energy needs. This, they argue, would make renewable energy a more viable solution on a larger scale.
The two organizations believe that the proposed measures can help expand the base of beneficiaries from solar energy, encourage investment, and create jobs, in addition to developing industries and services related to renewable energy and supporting Tunisian companies active in this field. They also noted that Tunisia has the potential to strengthen its position in the field of solar energy at the regional level, but achieving this requires a legislative and tax vision consistent with the goals of the energy transition.
The National Chamber of Photovoltaic Energy and the Tunisian Renewable Energy Professionals Association called on the parliament to support a transition that makes renewable energy a national priority and transforms tax policy from a factor that increases investment costs to a tool that contributes to accelerating the transition to renewable energy. They also recommended opening an urgent institutional dialogue that brings together the parliament, government, professionals, and relevant energy stakeholders to formulate a comprehensive package of legislative and tax measures to accelerate the transition to a more secure, sustainable, and competitive energy system.
Key points
- Removal of customs duties on solar equipment
- Reduction of value-added tax rate to 7%
- Acceleration of the energy transition
