PTA Urges Mobile Buyers to Check Tax Payment Status Before Purchase

The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has advised all consumers to verify the tax payment status of mobile devices before making any purchase.  

Buyers must ensure that all required tax have paid for devices and are registered under the correct CNIC or passport category in the Device Identification, Registration, and Blocking System (DIRBS), PTA said in a statement. 

For those purchasing an unregistered mobile device, it is the buyer’s responsibility to pay all applicable taxes and duties within 60 days to enable usage on local networks. PTA further advised individuals to personally submit the required taxes exclusively through authorized banking channels. Caution is crucial to avoid fraudulent offers or unauthorized intermediaries claiming to facilitate tax payments, PTA said. 

It is important to note that these taxes and duties are imposed solely by the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR). The PTA’s role is limited to overseeing the registration of devices through DIRBS to ensure their legal use and connectivity on local networks, the statement noted.