LAHORE: The National Council for the Rehabilitation of Disabled Persons (NCRDP) has proposed the Capital Administration and Development Division, Ministry of Commerce to review and amend the existing policy, allowing duty-free import of used cars by family members of disabled persons.
According to an Office Memorandum of Cabinet Secretariat, the recommendations have been proposed by NCRDP for incorporation in Import Policy:
Three categories of disabled persons, i.e. hearing impaired, visually impaired and mentally retarded, may be allowed to import a duty free car, keeping in view the rehabilitation of the disabled person and his/her family. The cost of the vehicle and its operations would be borne by the applicant/family. In addition to brand new car, used car (as per prevailing policy) up to 1350cc may also be allowed for import against this scheme. According to the above Memo, NCRDP, being the custodian and facilitators of Disabled Persons (Employment & Rehabilitation) Ordinance, 1981, recommended the above proposals in view of the fact that, some families having disabled children, by birth or due to later abnormalities, continue to share/shoulder responsibilities for their rehabilitation/upkeep. PAAPAM Chairman Usman Malik and the Managing Committee has rejected the proposal as it will provide another avenue of abuse for used cars trading mafia, who are already commercially importing used cars allowed only for overseas Pakistanis at concessionary rates of duties. He said that currently only specially designed new cars are allowed to be imported by physically handicapped persons, who can drive these customized cars by themselves. Allowing import of cars to the family members of disabled persons will open floodgates for misuse of this facility, just as the facility for Overseas Pakistanis is being abused by used cars importers and will inflict severe damage to the local automotive and auto parts industries. Much to the industry’s grief, the government is currently unable to control the import policy for used cars & trucks, which is meant purely for non-resident Pakistanis, and it is being massively abused by used cars traders for commercial purposes. Creating another loophole in the import policy will provide further opportunity to the used cars trader mafia to abuse the import policy.
