Travelers to be allowed by PTA to bring only one cell phone in a year as duty-free
A large number of Pakistanis are living abroad. They carry more than one mobile phone when they go back home free of customs duties. This will not be the case anymore as PTA will be controlling it.
The Minister’s Word:
As per the personal baggage rules, the Minister of State for Revenue Hammad Azhar has announced that people traveling to Pakistan will be allowed to bring in only one cellphone per year free of customs duty.
Total Mobiles Allowed:
A maximum of five smartphones can be brought under the new regulations in a year. However, customs duty will have to be paid on the extra four handsets to require service in Pakistan beyond 30 days.
On Saturday, the Federal Minister had written on Twitter, saying that the cabinet has decided that those mobile phones which are not custom duty paid, will be deactivated by PTA after 30 days.
Here is what he said:
The cabinet has decided that mobile phones sold after 1st Dec 2018 that are not custom duty paid (i.e. smuggled) will be deactivated by PTA after a lapse of 30 days. Phones currently in use or activated before 1st Dec will not be effected or require any registration. 1/2
— Hammad Azhar (@Hammad_Azhar) November 24, 2018
If you are purchasing a new phone or carry any phone that you wish to install a sim in and activate after 1st Dec 2018, make sure to send its IMEI number to 8484 to know about its legal status. The IMEI number can be found the mobile phone’s box or by dialling *#06# on its screen
— Hammad Azhar (@Hammad_Azhar) November 24, 2018
The cabinet has also approved the relaxation in policies regarding commercial import of new and used mobile phones. Ban on commercial import of used phones is also lifted if the said phone models conform to PTA regulations and duties and taxes are paid on them.
— Hammad Azhar (@Hammad_Azhar) November 24, 2018
For people bringing in phones from abroad, as per personal baggage rules. One phone per annum is allowed duty free and up to a maximum of 5 phones in a year can be brought in. The duty on remaining 4 will have to be paid if you require service in Pakistan beyond 30 days.
— Hammad Azhar (@Hammad_Azhar) November 24, 2018
For the purposes of implementation and enforcement of this policy, the customs electronic automated system has already been intergrated with the PTA’s DRIBS system. The IMEI numbers of customs duty paid phones is automatically uploaded into PTA’s database.
— Hammad Azhar (@Hammad_Azhar) November 24, 2018
In addition to this, the State Minister further said the cabinet has also approved the relaxation in policies regarding the commercial import of new and used mobile phones.
The Minister of State, Hammad Azhar guided phone users to avoid any hassle. He said that if you are purchasing a new phone and activating after 1st December 2018, make sure to send its IMEI number to 8484 to know about its legal status.
Pakistan’s Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry on Friday said,
“All those mobile phones which are illegally brought in the country, after December 31 will be blocked by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA).”
Check this too: Here is how you can save your mobile from getting blocked
He said this decision was taken to curb mobile phone smuggling, which is damaging the national economy.
The information minister’s say:
The Information Minister also announced about a new Device Identification Registration and Blocking System (DIRBS) to block the smuggled phones after December 31.
“The restriction will not be imposed on the phones already in use,” he added.
He said that mobile phones worth Rs82 million come through formal channels and taxes were paid. But phones worth Rs2.5 billion come through informal channels every year.
The information minister said, “The sale of second-hand phones is banned but these phones are still available in markets.”
Hammad Azhar’s statement on PTI official Facebook page in Urdu:
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