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Complete list of imported items that Pakistan has banned

.. by  Zakir Ahmed 

The government has banned the import of non-essential and luxury items to stabilize the fast depleting foreign exchange reserves and rising import bill, as part of measures that a minister claimed would save $6 billion.

The announcement was made by Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb at a news conference in Islamabad on Thursday.

Automobiles and mobile phones are among the notable products whose import has been banned. The complete list of items includes:

  1. Mobile Phones
  2. Home Appliances
  3. Fruits and Dry Fruits (except from Afghanistan)
  4. Crockery
  5. Private Weapons & Ammunition
  6. Shoes
  7. Chandeliers & Lighting (except Energy Savers)
  8. Headphones & Loudspeakers
  9. Sauces, Ketchup etc.
  10. Doors and Window Frames
  11. Travelling Bags and Suitcases
  12. Sanitary ware
  13. Fish & Frozen Fish
  14. Carpets (except from Afghanistan)
  15. Preserved Fruits
  16. Tissue Paper
  17. Furniture
  18. Shampoos
  19. Automobiles
  20. Confectionary
  21. Luxury mattresses & sleeping bags
  22. Jams & Jelly
  23. Cornflakes
  24. Bathroom ware / Toiletries
  25. Heaters / Blowers
  26. Sunglasses
  27. Kitchen ware
  28. Aerated water
  29. Frozen Meat
  30. Juices
  31. Pasta etc.
  32. Ice cream
  33. Cigarettes
  34. Shaving Goods
  35. Luxury Leather Apparel
  36. Musical Instruments
  37. Saloon items like hair dryers etc.
  38. Chocolates
The minister said that the steps taken by the government will also help reduce the growing current account deficit. She added that the key objective of these measures is to reduce the country’s reliance on imports and introduce an export-oriented policy to promote the local industry in the country.

The minister announced that the government is preparing a plan to promote local manufacturers so that employment opportunities are generated.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in a tweet said that the decision to ban the import of luxury items will save the country precious foreign exchange. The premier added that financially stronger people must lead in this effort so that the less privileged among us do not have to bear this burden inflicted on them by the previous government.

PTI’s reaction

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Hammad Azhar questioned the decision to ban imports of certain items and said that the items only made up a small percentage of the country’s total import bill.

“Non-oil current account deficit stands at just under $1 billion. These measures to ban items will be inconsequential,” the minister said in a tweet.

It is pertinent to mention here that Pakistan’s import bill has surged to $65.5 billion in the first ten months of the current fiscal year, up from $44.73 billion in the corresponding period of the previous year.

The foreign exchange reserves held by the State Bank of Pakistan are also down to a 23-month low.

.. Source

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