ISLAMABAD: The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has decided to tighten baggage rules to check misuse of this facility by commercial ‘khapias’ and any goods including mobile phones above value of US$1,200, brought under baggage, by one passenger would be out rightly confiscated.
The objective is to discourage the use of baggage facility for smuggling.
The FBR has introduced draft amendment in the Baggage Rules, 2006 through an S.R.O. 214(1)2024 issued here on Monday.
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The draft notification has been issued to seek comments from the stakeholders and a final notification shall be issued after seven days.
Sources told Business Recorder that the FBR has proposed that one used mobile phone can be brought by the incoming passenger that is in his personal use and it shall be subject to payment of duty and taxes, if not already paid.
The second phone could be released on payment of duties and taxes. Any quantity exceeding one phone, other than the one in personal use of the passenger, would not be cleared on payment of duty and fine and would be out rightly confiscated.
The limit of US$1200 would be applicable for all other items brought by the incoming passengers under the baggage facility. The value of goods brought under the baggage regime by one passenger must be below the value of US$1200.
In this regard, any goods brought into Pakistan under the baggage facility, exceeding value of US$1,200 would be out rightly confiscated.
According to the notification, the “commercial quantity” means a quantity of goods imported prima facie for trading or pecuniary gain and not for personal use or gift, the value of which exceeds US$1,200 and in case of mobile phones quantity exceeding one phone other than the one in personal use of the passenger.
Previously, specific value of commercial quality of US$1200 was not defined in the baggage rules.
About the treatment of goods brought in commercial quantity, the goods brought in commercial quantity shall not be released on payment of duty, taxes and redemption fine.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024
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