Islamabad: Overseas Pakistanis may soon benefit from reduced taxes on imported mobile phones they bring into the country, officials indicated.
During a meeting of the National Assembly’s Finance Committee, Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) Chairman Rashid Langrial said the government is reviewing proposals to lower duties on used and low-value mobile phones imported by overseas Pakistanis. He added that a formal report on possible tax reductions is expected by March.
Local Production Dominates Market
Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) Chairman highlighted that only six percent of mobile phones in Pakistan are imported, while the remaining 94 percent are locally manufactured. Local phones are subject to a relatively low tax rate of five to six percent.
Revenue Impact from Imports
Customs member Shakeel Shah said that mobile phone sales generated 82 billion rupees in tax revenue, whereas imported phones contributed 18 billion rupees. The proposed reductions aim to ease the financial burden on overseas Pakistanis while maintaining incentives for the growing domestic mobile manufacturing sector.
The committee’s discussions reflect ongoing government efforts to balance revenue collection with consumer affordability, particularly for returning Pakistanis carrying personal devices.
