June 30, 2006	Friday	Jumadi-ul-Sani 3, 1427

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ISLAMABAD, June 29: The government has reduced minimum stay to more than seven days from the less than six months condition for overseas Pakistanis for availing duty-free import of personal goods from all countries, including India, under the new baggage rules.

The government has also given similar treatment to foreign nationals coming to Pakistan for a period of not less than two years for availing all benefits available to Pakistani nationals under the transfer of residence case.

Addressing a press conference, Member Customs Shahid Rahim Sheikh announced here on Thursday the new rules, which, he said, would facilitate overseas Pakistani. The rules have been made so simple that those people who stay abroad for more than seven days would be allowed to bring a lot of duty-free goods, he said.

There was a separate baggage rules for passengers visiting India, both tourists and pilgrims. But these rules were combined last year to form a single rule to be applied in all cases.

To a question, the member said that in case of India only those goods could be brought under baggage rules which were on the positive list. However, baggage rules notification SRO666 of 2006 did not mention any such condition. The notification carried a list of prohibited goods which could not be imported under the rules from any country.

Mr Sheikh announced that customs facilitation centres would be established at all airports to facilitate passengers about the facilities. He said that more than 753 items were identified which would be subject to a single duty to further facilitate overseas Pakistanis.

The items allowed duty free on more than seven days abroad under the new rules include personal wearing apparel and clothing accessories, personal adornments, toilet requisites and electric shaver in use, medals, trophies and prizes bestowed upon a passenger, an electric iron and a hair dryer, 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or half kg of manufactured tobacco, pushcart, toys and goods of personal use of a child passenger, a wheel chair for personal use, a mobile phone and a wrist watch.

In addition to these items of personal use, the government also allowed duty-free import of items on the first visit in a year, which includes a radio or an ordinary tape recorder excluding hi-fi systems and home theatres, a VCP or VCR or VCD or DVD player or a similar appliance having more than one function, a still camera and a video camera, personal jewellery in reasonable quantity, professional tools of value not exceeding $500, tabarrakat, a desktop or laptop computer in personal use.

The government also allowed further allowances of the value not exceeding $500 except the following which would be allowed on payment of 50 per cent of the total duty and taxes notified for these rules -– television, deep freezer, refrigerator, microwave oven, cooking range, washing machine and air-conditioner.

Under the transfer-of-residence case, the government has extended the list of items to be imported. The government also notified a simple form for declaration of unaccompanied baggage.

The government has also extended the foreign exchange remittance card (FERC) from two to five categories. Those Pakistanis who would send remittances up to $2,500 or more would be issued a silver card, silver plus in case of $5,000 or more, golden for $10,000 or more, golden plus for $25,000, and platinum for $50,000.

Under these rules, it was decided that a silver-card holder would be given Rs2,500 duty credit for unaccompanied baggage or any purchase from any of the duty-free shops, silver plus Rs5,000, golden Rs10,000, golden plus Rs25,000 and platinum Rs50,000 respectively.

However, the duty credit under the scheme should not be utilized on importing vehicles.