ISLAMABAD: Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication (MoITT) on Wednesday expressed inability to bring mobile manufacturing companies in the country unless government announces incentives packages for them.
Secretary MoITT Maroof Afzal while briefing the Senate Standing Committee on Information Technology and Telecommunication said that 18 licenses have been issued to mobile assemblers and most of them are stationed in Azad Jammu and Kashmir due to tax holiday facility.
“It is about incentives on the pattern China and India are providing to mobile manufacturers and providing a full-fledged eco system to attract manufacturers in the country”, said Member Telecom Modassir Hussain, adding that short cut is not a solution to this challenge.
The parliamentary panel met with Rubina Khalid in the chair here on Wednesday, where Secretary of the Ministry also recommended for tax rationalisation on mobile sectors.
The committee members as well as ministry officials were on the same page saying that mobile phone is no more a luxury but a necessity and government should rationalize tax structure on mobile sector. The committee decided to summon Ministry of Finance and Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) in next meeting with proposal as the current policy is not working.
