Emigrants paid Rs 5 billion tax in the 7 months of the fiscal year 2021 for mobile phones. According to statistics the Federal Board of Revenue [FBR] had accumulated around Rs 4.99 billion of the imports of Mobile devices Identification Registration and Blocking System [DIRB] in just the first seven months of 2021’s fiscal year which is said to be 34.47 percent higher prior to 2020.
As stated under the baggage rules 2006, the government had been aloof in terms of regrading to the facility off duty-free mobile devices since July 1, 2019. According to Pakistan Telecommunication Authority [PTA] any non-duty paid or smuggled phone will not be used in Pakistan without the payment of taxes and registration.
Due to the increase in the revenues from mobile phone imports the Pakistan customs and the PTA have jointly formulated the introduction of DIRB’s to fully eliminate the use of smuggled devices in Pakistan.
Therefore the mobile devices brought by tourists dropped to 0.727 million between July of 2020 to Jan 2021. As opposed to 1.033 million device sets imported in the last year.
The high imported value and the local manufacturing of mobile phones sets led to a decrease in mobile phone imports. However commercially there is a clear policy for mobile phone imports, 27.167 million mobile phones were imported during the seven months this year as opposed to 12.642 million mobile devices since the last year showing a 115 percent increase.
