Pakistan, July 9 -- The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has introduced a major tax relief on the import of 500,000 metric tons of white crystalline sugar, aiming to bring down market prices. As part of the decision, customs duty has been fully exempted, while sales tax has been reduced from 18% to only 0.25%. The withholding tax on these imports is also down to 0.25%, making it easier and cheaper for both public and private importers.

This relief comes through three separate statutory regulatory orders (SROs): SRO 1215, SRO 1216, and SRO 1217 of 2025, all issued on Wednesday. The FBR has also waived the 3% minimum value added tax (VAT), which was previously applied under the Twelfth Schedule of the Sales Tax Act, 1990. These exemptions ar...