Overseas Pakistanis to pay duty for bringing more than one cellphone: Chaudhry

ISLAMABAD: Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry on Tuesday said overseas Pakistanis will have to pay duty if they bring more than one mobile phone to the country.

Responding to a tweet questioning the government's decision to ban overseas Pakistanis from carrying cellphones to the country, Chaudhry clarified, “Overseas Pakistanis can bring mobile phones to the country. Tax will only be imposed on additional mobile phone sets.”

“We are importing mobile phones worth $2 billion. If we do not impose taxes on this then how will we run?”

The information minister added, “The tax on phones worth less than $60 is almost negligible and on expensive phones there’s a 38% duty. This is the most appropriate taxation. We will have to adopt the tax culture.”

Later in the day Minister of State for Finance, Revenue and Economic Affairs Hammad Azhar clarified the new mobile phone policy.

"No registration/duty needed on any phone(s) using roaming.  No regulation/duty needed if phone(s) to be used in Pakistan for less than 30 days," he tweeted.

He added, "Also, no registration/duty required on any phone that was activated or ever used in Pakistan before the 1st of December 2018."

"Duties and registration can be done at either the airports or in any of the Custom Houses across Pakistan. Phones are not detained during the process of registration or duty payments," the minister added.