ISLAMABAD, June 29: The government has exempted around 100 items from customs duty following the post-budget consultations with stakeholders.

Officials at the Central Board of Revenue told Dawn on Tuesday that customs duty on these items were earlier scaled down to five per cent from 25, 20, 15 and 10 per cent in the budget 2004-05.

Similarly, the government has also withdrawn duty exemption announced in the budget on the import of vaccine for Hepatitis-B and C to provide protection to the local manufacturers. But it allowed zero per cent customs duty on import of diagnostic kits for HIV and Hepatitis.

The government has also exempted computer parts from the levy of five per cent customs duty, but levied a five per cent duty on import of computer. The following items were exempted from five per cent customs duty: whey powder; chewing gum, whether or not sugar-coated; white chocolate; sweet meats; other under HS code 1704.9090; cocoa powder, not containing added sugar or other sweetening; cocoa powder, containing added sugar or other sweetening matter; chocolate preparation; other under HS Code 1806.2090; filled under HS Code 1806.3100; not filled under HS Code 1806.3200.

The other items exempted from the levy of customs duty included: paraformaldehyde; ingredients for pesticides; silicon sealant; eau-de-cologne; perfumes, other under HS Code 3303.0090; lip make-up preparations; eye make-up preparations; nail polish; other under HS Code 3304.3090; powders, whether or not compressed; face and skin creams and lotions; tonics and skin food and other under HS Code 3304.9990; concrete pumps; manganese dioxide.

The government has also scaled down customs duty from 20 per cent to zero on items under HS Code 8414.8000.