The amnesty scheme for smuggled vehicles would not go well for the local automobile manufacturers, as this move would encourage unlawful activities in the country.

“The amnesty scheme to allow owners of non-customs paid vehicles to legalize their smuggled cars by March 31 after paying nominal duty and taxes will promote unlawful activities in the country”, said H M Shahzad, Chairman All Pakistan Motor Dealers Association, while talking to The Nation on Wednesday. He said that everyone would now try to bring a smuggled car from Peshawar or Quetta and would legalize it after paying nominal tax that would encourage unlawful activities.

He further said that government has taken this decision to facilitate the influential class of the society. He said that on one side the government claims to document the economy and bring more and more people into the tax net while actually these non-taxpayers are being given protection and they are being encouraged to bring their black money out and invest in automobile, which is already infested with the plague of black marketing, he added.

It is worth mentioning here that government has introduced amnesty scheme to allow owners of non-customs paid vehicles to legalize their smuggled cars by March 31 after paying nominal duty and taxes. According to the estimates, around 100,000 to 150,000 vehicles would be expected to be regularised under the new scheme. The scheme would give legal cover to the non-duty paid smuggled vehicles for a specific time period.

The scheme would also be applicable on the vehicles, having age beyond the period of 5 years, sources said. Sources said that the vehicles like jeeps having higher engine capacity would generate more revenue as compared to small vehicles. However, all kinds of such vehicles in Balochistan or Gilgit Balitistan or Swat area etc. would be covered under the said scheme. The amnesty for smuggled vehicles has no age limit and can be used for legalisation of any car smuggled into the country through non-notified routes.