FBR holds tax concession for overseas Pakistanis

Not providing facility of duty and tax credit to Forex Remittance Card holders

ISLAMABAD:

It has been revealed that the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) is not giving the facility of duty and tax credit on mobile phones and other imported items to the overseas Pakistanis holding Foreign Exchange Remittance Card.

Following numerous complaints on the Pakistan Citizen’s Portal, the Prime Minister’s Office took notice that the facility of customs duty and tax credit by the Customs Department of the FBR on the use of Foreign Exchange Remittance Card for the payment of duties and taxes on imported goods was not being given to the overseas Pakistanis.

In this regard, the Customs Department has been directed to deploy focal persons at all airports across the country to deal with matters relating to the payment of customs duty credit on the use of Foreign Exchange Remittance Card by the overseas Pakistanis.

The FBR has also directed heads of field offices of the Customs Department to train and create awareness among the Customs personnel stationed at the airports.

Read: Overseas Pakistanis Cell receives 2,000 irrelevant cases

The FBR has been directed to resolve the issue immediately at all airports and send the report to the PM Office.

According to a document available with the Daily Express, among other actions, it has also been recommended to establish a purpose-built kiosk/booth for the guidance of overseas Pakistanis.

A notification also called for the development and deployment of WeBOC module for the utilisation of duty credit and to fast-track the process.

Under the Baggage Rules 2006, the overseas Pakistanis have been given the facility of customs duty credit at the prevailing rate on every imported item on the use of Foreign Exchange Remittance Card for payment of duty and taxes on all items including mobile phones, except vehicles brought with them.

But the Prime Minister’s Performance Delivery Unit (PMDU) and the Pakistan Citizen’s Portal received a large number of complaints that the facility was not being provided.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 10^th, 2021.

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