As the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) is not granting the facility to collect taxes and fees on cell phones and other imported items to Pakistanis abroad who have a Foreign Exchange Remittance Card.
However, After numerous complaints on the Pakistan Citizen’s Portal, the Prime Minister’s Office noted that the customs duty and tax credit facility by the FBR Customs Department on the use of the Exchange Remittance Card for the payment of duties and taxes on imported goods did not being given to overseas Pakistanis.
According to the Baggage Rules 2006, overseas Pakistanis received the customs duty credit facility at the rate in effect on each item imported using the Exchange Remittance Card for payment of taxes and fees on all items, including cell phones, except vehicles brought with them.
In this regard, the Customs Department has been instructed to send focal persons at all airports across the country to deal with issues related to the payment of customs duty credit on the use of the Foreign Exchange Remittance Card by Pakistanis abroad.
FBR also instructed Customs Department field office heads to train and educate Customs personnel stationed at airports.
Moreover, FBR was instructed to fix the issue immediately at all airports and send the report to the Prime Minister Office.
But the Prime Minister’s Performance Delivery Unit (PMDU) and Pakistan’s Citizen’s Portal received a large number of complaints that the facility was not being provided.
