Pakistan Prime Minister directs policy for mobile phones on easy installments

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has directed the formulation of a policy to provide mobile phones to citizens on easy installments to ensure accessibility for general consumers. This directive follows a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Cabinet Secretariat, where officials reviewed mobile phone imports, taxation, and related policies.

Federal Minister for IT and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima reported that approximately 93 percent of mobile phones used in Pakistan are now locally manufactured and are not subject to taxes. She noted that there are no obstacles to the import of 5G smartphones and that 5G technology advancement is not being hindered by Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) taxes.

During the session, FBR officials noted that tax determination for mobile phones is based on model and storage capacity, though they highlighted that the current Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) system lacks the capability to accurately identify specific mobile models. The committee has requested representatives from the Tax Policy Office to attend future meetings to clarify tax rate adjustments.