The federal government is preparing a “Made in Pakistan” policy to increase the local production of mobile phones, laptops, and other electronic devices. The plan includes tax incentives for manufacturers to encourage companies to produce these products within Pakistan.
Under the proposed policy, Pakistan would also support the local manufacturing of signal boosters, dongles, biometric machines, POS machines, tracking devices, and smartwatches. The main goal is to reduce dependence on imported electronics and build a stronger domestic manufacturing industry.
The policy has been drafted, but its implementation is still waiting for final approval. The proposal includes tax exemptions on raw materials used to manufacture electronic products locally. It also suggests placing a levy of up to 5% on imported electronic products to make local manufacturing more attractive.
The government also plans to make it easier for manufacturers to obtain industrial materials and heavy machinery needed to set up and expand electronics factories. Pakistan currently imports more than $422.3 million worth of electronic devices every year, and officials expect local production to reduce the import bill while creating a stronger electronics industry in the country.