Only one duty-free phone a year
MAXIMUM FIVE PHONES CAN BE BROUGHT IN TO PAKISTAN PER PERSON EVERY YEAR
Expats will be allowed to bring in five phones and customs will have to be paid on four handsets as per new rule |
Pakistani expatriates will be allowed to bring in only one mobile phone to the country, per year, free of customs duty as per the new personal baggage rules. The announcement was made on Twitter by Hammad Azhar, Pakistan’s Minister of State for Revenue.
He added that a maximum of five smartphones can be brought in, under the new regulations, in one year. However, customs duty will have to be paid on the extra four handsets to require service in Pakistan beyond 30 days.
@Hammad_Azhar tweeted: “For people bringing in phones from abroad, as per personal baggage rules. One phone per annum is allowed duty free and up to a maximum of 5 phones in a year can be brought in. The duty on remaining 4 will have to be paid if you require service in Pakistan beyond 30 days.”
In a series of tweets on Saturday, Azhar announced other major policy shifts announced to tackle the issue of smuggled phones in the country.
Azhar tweeted: “The cabinet has decided that mobile phones sold after December 1, 2018 that are not custom duty paid (i.e. smuggled) will be deactivated by PTA (Pakistan Telecommunication Authority) after a lapse of 30 days.”
Phones currently in use or activated before December 1 will not be affected.
Disgruntled tweeps
The tweets gathered quick reaction from overseas Pakistanis. Some said 30 days was too less. @MashwaniAzhar wrote: “It must be three months because many overseas Pakistanis come to Pakistan for two to three months.”
@Syed_Sajjad added: “30 days is not enough it should be 45 or 60 days. Please don’t add extra problem for visitors/ tourists. Also the process must be automated and less time consuming. Please review it.”
Some were unhappy about being charged again in Pakistan, after paying tax while buying the phones abroad. @Ijazanwar tweeted: “And they cannot bring a custom free phone for their family for whom they are sacrificing. If someone brings from abroad, it has already paid VAT and duties of that country. How about double taxation.