Prime Minister (PM) Shahbaz Sharif inaugurated the Online Temporary Mobile Phone Registration System on Tuesday, aimed at facilitating overseas Pakistanis and foreign nationals during their visits to the country.
Under this system, individuals will be able to register and utilise their personal mobile phones for a duration of up to 120 days from the date of their arrival, exempt from any duties and taxes. This facility is available to overseas Pakistanis, including students and employees, as well as foreign nationals visiting Pakistan for tourism or business purposes.
During the inaugural ceremony in Islamabad, PM Shehbaz acknowledged the significant progress made by Pakistani youth in the field of information technology and emphasised the need to seize the abundant opportunities in this sector. He further stated that the current government has allocated ample funds in the budget to support various youth-oriented programmes.
To attract foreign investment and revive the economy, a Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) has been established, with the IT Ministry playing a pivotal role in achieving the set objectives.
Additionally, the PM highlighted the importance of promoting IT parks in the country to boost IT exports. He mentioned the distribution of free laptops among deserving students based on merit and assured that a non-financial package will be announced soon to further enhance facilitation for overseas Pakistanis.
In December 2018, the government introduced the ‘Mobile Phone Tax Policy,’ allowing overseas Pakistanis to bring one phone without paying customs duty, subject to registration upon arrival at the airport. Failure to register resulted in the phone being non-operational. Initially, the registered phone could be used with one SIM for 60 days, after which it required payment of due taxes to regularise its usage.
In 2022, authorities upgraded and introduced new features in the Identification Registration and Blocking System, enabling overseas Pakistanis to use their imported mobile phones for a period of 120 days.
The system facilitated data exchange among the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), and the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA). It was also integrated with the FIA’s record of passengers’ entry and exit.
