Tax-free mobile phone service introduced for overseas Pakistanis

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister (PM) Shahbaz Sharif on Tuesday inaugurated the Online Temporary Mobile Phone Registration system for overseas Pakistanis and foreign nationals under which the applicant will be granted 120 days without payment of custom duties.

The system will enable overseas Pakistanis and foreign nationals to avail this facility to use their personal phones, while visiting Pakistan. They can apply and avail free registration facility of 120 days on each visit to Pakistan.

Overseas Pakistanis, students studying abroad, labour working abroad and foreign nationals visiting Pakistan for tourism or business purposes can benefit from this facility.

Addressing the inaugural ceremony, PM Shehbaz Sharif said that Pakistani youth is making significant progress in the field of Information Technology (IT).

He pointed out ‘immense opportunities’ in the sector and said the people of Pakistan should not let them waist. He said his government has allocated sufficient funds in the current budget for different programmes for youth.

The prime minister further said that Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) has also been constituted in Pakistan to attract foreign investment and revive country’s economy.

Dubbing SIFC as a programme of economic recovery, he said IT Ministry has key role in achieving the goals set in this regard. He stressed the need to promote IT parks in the country to enhance IT exports.

To further facilitate the overseas Pakistanis, the Prime Minister said that a non-financial package will be announced in next few days for them.