Govt relaxes import restrictions

The federal government has removed the import ban on some items, other than cat and dog food, the Ministry of Commerce said on Saturday.

On 19 May, the government prohibited the importation of non-essential luxury items as part of an “emergency economic plan” to “save the country’s foreign exchange.

The move was widely applauded, but pet owners had raised concerns on social media and urged the government to rethink it.

The Ministry of Commerce issued the notification, announcing the removal of import restrictions on certain items and those ordered prior to May to address public concerns and some anomalies resulting from the implementation of SRO 598(1)2022 — dated May 19.

It further stated that the restriction “does not apply to the importation of goods for which an air waybill was issued prior to the issuance of an SRO.’’