PTA to deactivate all smuggled phones by Jan 2019

The Minister of State for Revenue Hammad Azhar has announced that mobile phones sold after 1st December 2018 that are not customs duty paid (i.e. smuggled) will be deactivated by PTA after a lapse of 30 days.

In a post on Twitter, the minister said that the cabinet has decided that mobile phones sold after 1st December 2018 that are not customs duty paid will be deactivated by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) after a lapse of 30 days. Phones currently in use or activated before 1st December will not be affected or require any registration

The cabinet has decided that mobile phones sold after 1st Dec 2018 that are not custom duty paid (i.e. smuggled) will be deactivated by PTA after a lapse of 30 days. Phones currently in use or activated before 1st Dec will not be effected or require any registration. 1/2

— Hammad Azhar (@Hammad_Azhar) November 24, 2018

He announced that those travelling to Pakistan will be allowed to bring in only one cellphone per year which will be free of customs duty as per personal baggage rules.

The minister said that although a maximum of five smartphones can be brought under the new regulations in a year, customs duty, however, will have to be paid on the extra four handsets to be fully functional in Pakistan beyond 30 days.

For people bringing in phones from abroad, as per personal baggage rules. One phone per annum is allowed duty free and up to a maximum of 5 phones in a year can be brought in. The duty on remaining 4 will have to be paid if you require service in Pakistan beyond 30 days.

— Hammad Azhar (@Hammad_Azhar) November 24, 2018

However, phones currently in use or activated before December 1 will not be affected or require any registration, he added.

The state minister further said, “The cabinet has also approved the relaxation in policies regarding the commercial import of new and used mobile phones,” adding that the ban on commercial import of used phones has also been lifted if the phone models conform to PTA regulations and duties and taxes have been paid on them.

If you are purchasing a new phone or carry any phone that you wish to install a sim in and activate after 1st Dec 2018, make sure to send its IMEI number to 8484 to know about its legal status. The IMEI number can be found the mobile phone's box or by dialling *#06# on its screen

— Hammad Azhar (@Hammad_Azhar) November 24, 2018

In another tweet, Azhar said, “If you are purchasing a new phone or carry any phone that you wish to install a SIM in and activate after 1st December 2018, make sure to send its IMEI number to 8484 to know about its legal status. The IMEI number can be found the mobile phone’s box or by dialing *#06# on its screen.”

The cabinet has also approved the relaxation in policies regarding commercial import of new and used mobile phones. Ban on commercial import of used phones is also lifted if the said phone models conform to PTA regulations and duties and taxes are paid on them.

— Hammad Azhar (@Hammad_Azhar) November 24, 2018

Regarding the implementation of this policy, the minister said in another tweet that the customs electronic automated system has already been intergrated with the PTA's DRIBS system. The IMEI numbers of customs duty paid phones is automatically uploaded into PTA's database.

For the purposes of implementation and enforcement of this policy, the customs electronic automated system has already been intergrated with the PTA's DRIBS system. The IMEI numbers of customs duty paid phones is automatically uploaded into PTA's database.

— Hammad Azhar (@Hammad_Azhar) November 24, 2018

Earlier, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry on Friday had announced that the cabinet had decided to install a new Device Identification Registration and Blocking System (DIRBS) to block the smuggled phones after December 31. “The restriction will not be imposed on the phones already in use,” he added.

He said mobile phones worth Rs82 million come through formal channels and taxes were paid but phones worth Rs2.5 billion come through informal channels every year.