ISLAMABAD: The federal government of Pakistan has approved a new car import policy that specifies two schemes through which cars can still be imported from abroad, the Transfer of Residence scheme and the Gift scheme.
After the Ministry of Commerce issued a revised notification, the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) gave its approval and the decision was made.
According to the new policy, the Personal Baggage scheme has been scrapped for car imports. Thus, cars cannot be included in an individual’s personal items while coming back to Pakistan. Only the Transfer of Residence scheme, which allows the overseas Pakistanis to import cars when they move back to the country, or the Gift scheme, where the family members send cars as gifts from abroad, are the options left for bringing in vehicles.
The government has brought in new rules regarding the ownership transfer along with these changes. As per the newly framed policy, imported cars cannot be passed on to another person for the first year. Also, the duration for importing a vehicle has been increased from 700 days to 850 days.
The revised policy places a strong emphasis on the enforcement of safety and environmental standards for used vehicles. At the very least, the imported cars will have to comply with the basic safety and environmental requirements before entering the country.
If an overseas Pakistani imports a vehicle under the Transfer of Residence scheme, the car has to be purchased from the country where he/she is living permanently. This helps to bring in cars belonging to persons who have been living abroad for a longer time and are coming back to settle in Pakistan.
The changes are meant to make the import of vehicles a lot stricter and at the same time, the government will keep a close eye on the process.
