LAHORE – Businessmen Panel (BMP) for Federation of Pakistan of Chambers ofCommerce and Industry (FPCCI) on Wednesday demanded of the government toannounce special measures for the facilitation of overseas Pakistanis toopen dollar accounts in Pakistan.Talking to media persons here, BMP Chairman Mian Anjum Nisar said theexpatriate Pakistanis should also be allowed to transfer their amountsthrough internet banking as it would encourage them to keep their foreigncurrency in Pakistani banks.He said in the Western countries, people had the facility to transfer theirmoney anywhere in the world through internet banking or online transfer.The government should direct the State Bank of Pakistan to make a certainmechanism with the help of National Database Registration Authority for theoverseas Pakistanis to open bank accounts online so that the country’sforeign remittances might increase, he added.He viewed that the expatriate Pakistanis were national asset, who wereplaying an important role in improving the country’s finances through theirremittances.Anjum Nisar claimed Pakistan could receive over $30 billion via foreignremittances if bottlenecks faced by banks and money transfer exchanges wereremoved.Similarly, he said, embargo of tax filer for overseas Pakistanis should beremoved to open bank account in foreign currency because they earned moneyin another country and already paid taxes there.
However as per new rules, being a taxpayer was the pre-requisite foropening any new foreign currency account but the account holders would bepaid in local currency instead of foreign currency, he added.
