Some Government Officials were talking about removing the Duty/Tax Exemption on Mobile phone brought into Pakistan via Custom Baggage Rules wherein, one device per passport per year was allowed to be registered duty free.
Official Notification of the same has yet to be issued and old Mobile Device Regularization Rules & FAQs are still up on FBR’s website till filing of this report. However, on PTA DRS website, when users tried to register a device, the text for User type of International Traveler used to mention (1st Device Free) which has changed to “International Traveler” now and no longer mentions the one device free part.
This was bound to happen as the said Baggage rule was being misused by people; where smuggled devices were purchased from the local market and being registered using this loophole. It is also worth mentioning that a lot of Passports’ data was stolen and used to avail duty free devices. A large number of cases are being filed by PTA/FIA for the same now.
It should be pointed here that if you are one of the people who applied for the Duty Free Phone as per Baggage rules before 30th June then you are probably safe as the duty was calculated then and there when you applied. Yes, the applications may still be showing as “In process” as someone from PTA has to go through and approve the uploaded proof of NICOP, Passport and Entry Stamp.
Are you effected by the said change? Feel free to share your thoughts below in comments.