Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb on Thursday announced that the government has imposed a ban on around 800 non-essential luxury items falling in the 33 categories, including food products, under an “emergency economic plan”.
“We have to reduce our dependence on imports,” she said while addressing a press conference in Islamabad, adding that the government was now focusing on an exports-based policy to overcome the trade deficit. Under this initiative, the local industries would prosper eventually boosting Pakistan’s economy, she claimed.
The Minister declared that it was “an emergency situation” in Pakistan and the citizens would have to make sacrifices under the given economic plan, adding that the impact of these bans would be around $6 billion.
Prime Minister’s Remarks on the ban:
Maryam Aurangzeb’s press conference followed the tweet made by the Prime Minister early on Thursday evening saying that the decision would “save the country precious foreign exchange”.
“My decision to ban the import of luxury items will save the country precious foreign exchange. We will practice austerity and 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] PTI government,” PM Shehbaz Sharif tweeted. He further stated that together “we will overcome all the challenges with resolve and determination”.
According to the cabinet decision, the import of the items has been prohibited to support the balance of payments position. The prohibition will however not apply to the imports in rupees or through barter mechanism by land routes, the cabinet cleared.
List of Banned Items:
The Information Minister, while putting forward the list of banned non-essential luxury items said, “These items are those which are not in the use of the general public,” she said as she identified imported vehicles as one such item.
- Home appliances
- Automobiles
- Fruits and Dry frits
- Mobile phones
- Crockery
- Shoes
- Private weapons and ammunition
- Chandeliers and lighting (except energy savers)
- Sauces
- Headphones and loudspeakers
- Travelling bags and suitcases
- Doors and Window frames
- Sanitary ware
- Carpets (excepts from Afghanistan)
- Fish and frozen fish
- Preserved fruits
- Luxury mattresses and sleeping bags
- Jams and jelly
- Cornflakes
- Toiletries
- Heaters, blowers
- Sunglasses
- Kitchen ware
- Tissue paper
- Furniture
- Shampoos
- Confectionary
- Cigarettes
- Shaving goods
- Luxury leather apparel
- Musical instruments
- Salon items like hair dryers etc
- Chocolates
- Aerated water
- Frozen meat
- Juices
- Pasta
- Ice cream