ISLAMABAD ( SPECIAL REPORT )
With the clock striking 12.00 midnight of Wednesday and Thursday , mobile consumers in Pakistan will after a long time enjoy getting the full amount from their prepaid cards.
Supreme Court of Pakistan took notice as to why mobile phone cards were being charged high taxes. Chief Justice of Pakistan, Mian Saqib Nisar questioned that under which law Rs 40 were being deducted from Rs100 mobile cards?
For the next 15 days, consumers will be able to get 100 rupees load from their mobile prepaid cards until provincial governments can come up with new tax policies.
The Supreme Court (SC) on Monday suspended recovery of Withholding Tax, Excise Duty and service charges on mobile-phone recharge.
The court gave two-day deadline for implementation of the orders.
The three-member bench, headed by Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar, passed the orders while hearing suo motu notice over deduction of high tax/other charges by mobile companies in pakistan.
During the proceedings, Chairman Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) Tariq Pasha appeared before the bench and submitted that recovery of service charges on mobile calls was personal act of the companies.
He further submitted that 130 million people use mobile phones across the country whereas only five per cent people pay taxes.
To which, the FBR chairman submitted that there was no system to identify taxpayers and non-taxpayers.