Government exempts duty on PPE import

The government has again exempted duty on the import of personal protective equipment (PPE).

A notification issued on Wednesday said that until June next year, all taxes have been lifted on PPEs, including masks, sanitisers, goggles and raw materials for making them.

The list of duty-free products also includes isopropyl alcohol, nonwoven filaments, Covid-19 test kits, disinfectant, face shield, surgical mask, medical protective gear, goggles, full-body covering, etc.

Import duty, regulatory duty, supplementary duty, value-added tax (VAT), advance VAT, advance tax etc are not required to bring these products.

The government has been providing duty exemption on these products in phases. As the last term ends on 30 June, now it has been extended.

The condition of getting duty exemption is that the importers must be industrial IRC registered pharmaceutical companies, medical instrument manufacturers and garment manufacturers.

Earlier, in May last year, VAT on PPE and surgical masks was waived at the local production, trader and supplier levels. If any local company produces these products, it will get this tax benefit.