BUDGET 2026

Wire excerpt

• Committee finalises Finance Bill 2026 recommendations • Lawmakers seek relief for entry-level, mid-range phone users • FBR says mobile imports generate Rs37bn annually • Apple devices account for Rs21bn in mobile import revenue • Aircraft lease, spare parts tax relief extended beyond PIA • MNAs insist airline relief should reflect in ticket prices ISLAMABAD: A parliamentary committee on Sunday raised questions over the government’s mobile phone taxation policy and proposed taxes on high-end electric vehicles, while also extending relief to airlines beyond Pakistan International Airlines. The National Assembly Standing Committee on Finance, chaired by MNA Naveed Qamar, concluded its series of meetings held for a clause-by-clause review of the Finance Bill 2026. The committee finalised its recommendations and forwarded them to the National Assembly. During the proceedings, Sharmila Faruqui and Muhammad Javed Hanif submitted dissenting notes on the government’s electric vehicle policy and the existing tax structure on imported mobile phones, respectively. The committee reviewed tax rates on imported and locally manufactured mobile phones, while officials outlined a tiered structu…