KARACHI: Minister of State for Revenue Hammad Azhar on Tuesday announced the ‘mobile tax policy’ for foreign visitors after the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) released details of duties imposed on imported handsets.

In a series of tweets, Mr Azhar said people flying into Pakistan would be allowed to register one handset without having to pay duty charges.

Listing the conditions for foreign visitors that will not require registration or duty charges, he said: “For benefit of people travelling into Pak from abroad, the mobile tax policy for you is: 1) One phone allowed to be registered as duty free 2) No Registration/Duty needed on any phone(s) using roaming 3) No Reg/Duty needed if phone(s) to be used in Pak for less than 30 days.”

The minister added that no registration or duty was required on any phone that was activated or ever used in Pakistan before Dec 1, 2018. He said that visitors could pay duty charges and register their handsets at airports or in any customs house across the country. He clarified that mobile phones would not be confiscated during the process of registration.

Earlier, in order to curb illegal imports of handsets, the FBR and Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) had laid out new procedures for regularisation of unregistered mobile devices.

Users of illegally imported mobile devices have until Dec 31 to get their phones regularised with the PTA, without having to pay penalty charges.

The FBR also clarified that after the deadline of Dec 31, no option would be available to regularise illegal mobile devices. All such devices would be liable for seizure/outright confiscation. In addition, all such devices would be permanently blocked through the DIRBS by the PTA.

Published in Dawn, December 12th, 2018