ISLAMABAD: The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has announced new relief measures under the Export Facilitation Scheme (EFS), aiming to ease compliance and improve liquidity for exporters, trade, and industry.
The measures were introduced through SRO 520(I)/2026 dated March 18, 2026, under proposed amendments to the Customs Rules, 2001. The latest changes are designed to streamline procedures for businesses operating under the EFS framework and promote export-led growth.
According to the FBR, exporters who have utilized either partially or fully their authorized input goods and have already exported finished products before the prescribed utilization period under Rule 883 will now be allowed to import duty-free input goods. This facility will be available up to the value of the input goods already consumed in exported products, subject to the limit defined under Rule 878(I).
However, the authority clarified that this relief is conditional. The description and Pakistan Customs Tariff (PCT) codes of both input and exported goods must remain consistent with those approved in the Input Output Ratios (IORs), as determined by the relevant authorities, including IOCO or the Regulatory Collector. The facility will not be available in cases where IORs have not been approved or are only provisionally sanctioned.
Additionally, the FBR has introduced a formal appeal mechanism. Any order issued by the Regulatory Collector under these rules can be challenged before the Chief Collector within 30 days, with decisions to be made within a similar timeframe.
To ensure transparency and compliance, EFS users will also be required to submit a six-monthly reconciliation statement detailing imports, exports, domestic sales, value addition, and wastage within 30 days after each reporting period.
Experts believe the new measures will facilitate smoother export operations and enhance Pakistan’s competitiveness in global markets.
