Exemptions from tariffs and taxes support young industries, attract companies to new markets, and enable them to reduce the cost of products for consumers—helping millions to access goods and services for the first time. In the energy world, exemptions from tariffs and VAT on decentralized renewable energy (DRE) products, are enabling companies to bridge the affordability barrier that has hampered energy access for decades, with a recent Power for All survey highlighting tariff exemptions as the number one fiscal policy that decision-makers can take to accelerate DRE markets even faster.
To learn how exemptions can drive growth and reduce the customer cost of distributed solar by as much as 40 percent, as well as to hear about recent challenges due to tariff amendments in the East African Community, we caught up with Johanna Diecker, Enabling Environment Manager at GOGLA (aka the Global Off-Grid Lighting Association)—whose members have already helped over 100 million people get improved access to electricity.
Listen to the Q&A below.
