Senate Standing Committee on Interior has recommended that the Ministry of Finance and the Federal Board of Revenue should submit details of the foreign exchange repatriated by telecom companies from Pakistan since the start of business. Sources told Business Recorder on Thursday that the Ministry of Finance and the FBR have received the recommendations of the last Senate Standing Committee on Interior and Narcotics Control.
The recommendations of the committee also included review of sales tax structure for the import of mobile phones. According to sources, tax-related recommendations would be reviewed by the FBR. The committee has recommended that the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and police should be given jurisdiction for timely availability of call data records from mobile companies in view of SOP issued by the Ministry of Interior. It has also recommended that the Ministry of Interior in co-ordination with Ministry of Finance and FBR should submit details of foreign exchange repatriated by the telecom companies from Pakistan since start of business.
The recommendation has been made to check whether such companies are duly paying their taxes on profits, sources maintained. The Ministry of Interior in co-ordination with the Ministry of Information Technology and PTA should take up the issue of misuse of roaming service with the Afghan government and look into the government's agreements with other countries and some way out should be incorporated in the pacts to regularise the use of Afghan SIMs in Pakistan.
Ministry of Interior in co-ordination with Ministry of Information Technology and PTA should review the use of illegal SIMs and make necessary arrangements to ensure it is a cognizable offence. The committee has further recommended that the cellular connections without an IMEI number should be blocked immediately. It has further directed that tariff on the import of the cell phones as well as sales tax should be revised.