Legalising non-customs paid vehicles

It has been learnt from government sources that the imposition of taxes, of up to Rs15 billion are being implemented.

Recently, the federal government announced the registration of smuggled vehicles from Afghanistan through special packages with the objective of legalising the non-customs paid vehicles.

However, all quarters have denounced the decision, saying that duty on such vehicles is an open violation of Articles 246 and 247 of the Constitution under which the Malakand division has been exempted from taxes.

It has been learnt from government sources that the imposition of taxes, of up to Rs15 billion, will generate sizeable revenues for revenue collection.

The federal government is also of the opinion that the nominal announced package of payment, for the owners of the NCP vehicles, will benefit them highly, since 60 percent reduction in taxes has been offered on 800 to 1800 CC vehicles, while 72 per cent reduction in taxes on 1800 and above vehicles have been offered.

After getting the required customs amount paid, the owners will be able to move their vehicles across the country.

Presently, non-customs paid vehicles can be moved only in the premises of the Malakand division.

Such vehicles were first introduced after the Iraq-Kuwait war in 1990 and, according to a survey, almost 700,000 of these vehicles are moving in all seven districts of the Malakand division.

People in the Malakand, especially in Swat, were the worst affected; first by militancy and then by the 2010 floods.

They say that instead of giving them relief, the government is trying to put more and more pressure on them. They have severely criticised the federal government’s act of registering these vehicles.

According to locals, the government is trying to bring the area under a tax circle, which is in violation of the Constitution. Locals have warned that the move will only add to the existing feeling of marginalisation experienced by them.

They also added that the government would face resistance if it tried to implement the decision.

After the federal government announced amnesty to the owners of NCP vehicles, at nominal custom fees, people flocked to the markets to benefit from the offer by buying vehicles in large number.

Many dealers from other parts of the country have also been seen to purchase vehicles for future business.

Read more by Fazal here.