While most inbound travelers who bring luxurious items attempt to evade the taxes by illicit means, a fraction of those who abide by the law face a wide range of issues.
From exorbitant taxes and duties imposed by the government to the officials demanding bribes to clear those items by circumventing the law, there are a number of challenges that some travelers have to face after stepping back into their country.
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In one such incident, a citizen had bought a Wi-Fi device from UAE for AED 59 (Rs. 2,600) before returning to Pakistan.
Upon arrival, the citizen applied for registering the device with Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) and was asked to pay Rs. 36,000 in taxes.
Shockingly, the citizen was also allegedly approached by Customs officials who demanded half the amount of taxes as a bribe in order to clear the device without paying the “lawful” tax amount.
This is just one story that has come to light. There are numerous similar untold stories.
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Therefore, it is hoped that the government would revise tax policies so that officials do not exploit ordinary citizens.
It is also requested to use PTA’s DIRBS platform for registering their imported devices and avoiding manipulation at the hands of corrupt officials. However, this only applies to phones and other imported items still have to go through the customs department.
In line with section 9.6 of the Telecom Policy 2015, PTA developed the DIRBS to:
The Device Identification, Registration, and Blocking System, known as DIRBS, is a framework initially launched by the PTA in May 2018 to curb the smuggling of illegal devices in the country and ensure that all the devices being used were legally registered and verified by the authority.
Citizens can register with DIRBS via SMS, Android application, and DIRBS online portal.
