Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif on Tuesday inaugurated the Online Temporary Mobile Phone Registration System to facilitate overseas Pakistanis and foreign nationals visiting the country.
The system will allow them to register and utilise their personal mobile phones for up to 120 days from the date of their arrival, without any duties and taxes.
Overseas Pakistanis — including students and employees — and foreign nationals visiting Pakistan for tourism or business purposes can benefit from the new facility.
Addressing the inaugural ceremony in Islamabad, PM Shehbaz said Pakistani youth is making significant progress in the field of information technology. "There are immense opportunities in the sector and we should not let them waste."
The premier said that his government has allocated sufficient funds in the current budget for different programmes for youth.
He said Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) has been constituted in Pakistan to attract foreign investment and revive the country's economy. Dubbing the SIFC a programme of economic recovery, he said IT Ministry has a key role in achieving the goals set in this regard.
The PM also stressed the need to promote IT parks in the country to enhance IT exports. He said free laptops are being distributed among bright students on merit.
To further facilitate the overseas Pakistanis, the premier said that a non-financial package will be announced in the next few days.
In December 2018, the government introduced a ‘Mobile phone tax policy’ allowing overseas Pakistanis to bring one phone without paying customs duty. However, they needed to register their phone upon arrival at the airport. Otherwise, their phone did not work.
The overseas Pakistanis could use their imported phone with one SIM for a 60-day period. After the 60-day period, the phone would not be operational unless they pay the due amount of taxes for the regularisation of the said device.
In 2022, the authorities upgraded and add new features in the Identification Registration and Blocking System, enabling overseas Pakistanis to use their imported mobile phones for 120 days. The system was able to exchange data among the FIA, the FBR, and the PTA. The system was also connected with the FIA’s record of entry and exit of passengers.
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