THE Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) is set to charge an exorbitant amount as federal excise duty (FED) on every air ticket issued to persons travelling abroad. These include those holding a labour visa and embarking on an international journey from Pakistan to any destination in the Gulf or elsewhere.

I fail to understand who gave the advice to the economic managers to put further financial burden on those very people who happen to be the earning machines of foreign exchange for the country. These poor people take out loans and travel abroad to earn dollars for Pakistan, but now the FBR has put a further financial burden on them, discouraging them from travelling abroad even if it means a dip in the country’s foreign exchange earnings. Such negative measures by the FBR are bound to have a negative impact on the national economy.

During the 2023-24 fiscal, Pakistani labourers sent more than $28 billion to the country, which is a huge amount. We should be grateful to those who are playing their role for the growth of the economy and for repaying Pakistan’s debts.

It is high time the FBR and the financial wizards of the country revisited the matter, and supported those who try to earn foreign exchange for the country.

Yahqub Lodhi
Karachi

Published in Dawn, August 21st, 2024