ISLAMABAD: The government has proposed in the budget 2020-21 to amend the Ninth Schedule of the Sales Tax Act in line with Mobile Manufacturing Policy approved by the Economic Coordination Committee of the Cabinet (ECC) aimed at incentivizing local manufacturing of mobile phones.
In the Finance Bill 2020-21, the government has proposed sales tax exemption to those companies manufacturing mobile phone locally under the new mobile phone manufacturing policy.
According to the Finance Bill the rate of advance tax to be collected by the Collector of Customs provided that the rate of tax on value of import of mobile phone by any person shall be as set out given below namely: -
If the C & F Value of mobile phone (in US Dollar) up to 30 except smart phones, there would be Rs 70 tax in CBU condition and no tax in CKD/SKD condition, Rs 100 tax if exceeding 30 and up to 100 and smart phones up to 100 in CBU condition and no tax in CKD/SKD condition, Rs 930 tax if exceeding 100 and up to 200 in CBU condition and no tax in CKD/SKD condition, Rs 970 tax if exceeding 200 and up to 350 in CBU condition and no tax in CKD/SKD condition, Rs 3000 tax if exceeding 350 and up to 500 in CBU condition and Rs 5000 tax in CKD/SKD condition, Rs 5,200 if exceeding 500 in CBU condition and Rs 11,500 tax in CKD/SKD condition.
The ECC has approved removal of regulatory duty for the CKD/SKD manufacturing by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) approved manufactures under input/output Co-Efficient Organization (IOCO) approved import authorization.
The ECC has also approved the removal of fixed income tax on CKD/SKD manufacturing of mobile devices up to US$ 350 category and increase in fixed income tax on US$ 351-500 US$ category by Rs2, 000 and US$ 500 by Rs6,300 on CKD/SKD manufacturing only and removal of fixed sales tax on CKD/SKD manufacturing of mobile devices.
The ECC has also approved proposal that the PTA would allow activation of handsets manufacturing in the country under import authorization of inputs by the IOCO in the CKS/SKD kit (8517.1211) and not under HS Code 8517.7000 i.e. parts after the meeting was informed that this would eliminate mis-declaration in parts category at the import stage.
The ECC also approved as part of the policy that in up to US$ 30 category, words "except smart phones" to be inserted for CBU imports under 8517.1219 to avoid mis-declaration and R&D allowance of three percent to be given to local manufacturers for exports of mobile phones, and locally assembled/manufactured phones to be exempted from four percent of withholding tax on domestic sales.
The ECC approved proposed recommendations that the government to commit maintaining tariff differential between CBU imports and CKS/SKD manufacturing till the expiry of the policy as well as that local industry to ensure localization of parts and components as per roadmap included in draft policy and the Engineering Development Board (EDB) would act as Secretariat of Mobile Phone Manufacturing Policy and ensure development of allied parts, components and devices.
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