A parliamentary panel, on Wednesday, recommended to revisit the mobile taxation as well as withdrawing the one mobile handset per year policy to facilitate passengers.
The Senate Standing Committee on Information Technology and Telecommunications met with Rubina Khalid in the chair on Wednesday. A detailed briefing was given regarding streamlining the process for the collection of taxes on cell phones at all airports and extension of time period to block unregistered IMEI cell phones.
The committee strongly opposed the imposition of taxes on bringing more than one mobile phone to Pakistan and recommended that this policy be revisited in consultation with the Senate Standing Committee on Information Technology and Telecommunication.
Senator Mian Muhammad Ateeq Shaikh said that this policy had numerous flaws and for public clarity, every aspect of it must be evaluated separately.
Chief Customs informed the committee that 34,000 mobile phones have registered through the DIRBS system so far, where Rs 1.5 million was collected in taxes on 116 mobile handsets. As per the policy, one mobile phone is allowed duty-free on each trip to Pakistan but one has to pay taxes for more handsets.
The committee observed that the figures are not very encouraging and there is need to revisit this policy. The committee further recommended that the condition of one mobile per year for passengers may be withdrawn.
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