ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has allowed exemption of customs duty on import of coal from Afghanistan.
The country’s apex revenue authority i.e. Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) issued SRO 968(I)/2022 to exempt customs duty on import of certain items, including coal from Afghanistan.
Earlier this week Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif approved the import of super-critical quality coal from Afghanistan in Pakistani rupee instead of dollars to help generate low-cost electricity in the country.
READ MORE: Govt. may exempt customs duty in emergency situation
The prime minister, chairing a meeting to improve the mechanism for transportation of Afghan coal, expressed concerns over the rising price of coal in the international market.
He said the rise in coal price was also one of the reasons behind the generation of expensive electricity by the coal power plants operating in the country.
He viewed that the import of Afghan coal in Pakistani currency would save the foreign exchange.
The prime minister was told that the import of Afghan coal – initially for Sahiwal and Hub power plants – would save around $2.2 billion annually.
READ MORE: Rate of customs duty in Pakistan on imports
The FBR allowed duty exemption on import of following goods: Description (Pakistan Customs Tariff)
Other Coal (2701.1900)
Bituminous coal (2701.1200)
Talc (2526.1010)
Marble (Crude or roughly trimmed) (2515.1100)
Plants & parts of plants (including seed & fruit) (1211.9000)
Seeds of cumin neither crushed nor grounded (0909.3100)
Sulphur of all kinds, other than sublimed sulphur (2503.0000)
Yams (Dioscorea spp.) (0714.3000)
Containers (including containers for the transport of fluids) (8609 0000)
The FBR said that the SRO would take effect from July 01, 2022.
