JEDDAH, 22 March 2007 — The Consulate General of Pakistan, Jeddah, will now issue five categories of foreign exchange remittance cards instead of two. The cards will be issued on the basis of remittances sent by individuals.
Under a new scheme, issuance and renewal of passports has been made easier, Consul General Masood Akhtar told a press briefing at the consulate yesterday.
More incentives in terms of duty credit will be provided in the new scheme.
An individual remitting $2,500 or more through the normal banking channel will be entitled to a Silver card and allowed duty credit of Rs.10,000. Those remitting $5,000 or more will be entitled to a Silver Plus card and allowed a duty credit of Rs.20,000; on a remittance of $10, 000 or more, the remitter will be entitled to a Gold card and will be allowed a duty credit of Rs.30,000. For those remitting $25,000 or more, the duty credit will be Rs.50,000 and the card they will get will be Gold Plus, while those remitting $50,000 or more will be entitled to a Platinum card and allowed a duty credit of Rs.100,000.
A proposal for the establishment of an Allama Iqbal Open University campus in the Kingdom is also being considered to enable the children of overseas Pakistanis continue their education at the graduate and post-graduate level here, the consul general said.
Urgent machine readable passports will be delivered within five working days and the fee will be SR301, he added.
The consul general said Pakistan will be taking part in a number of fairs to be held in the Kingdom including Saudi World Trade Fair at Riyadh from April 29 to May 2 and Saudi Health Care Exhibition from May 20 to 23 in Jeddah. Pakistani surgical items will be on display at the exhibition, said the consul general.
To address the problems of the Pakistanis the consulate’s Social Welfare Department will organize a bimonthly meeting at the consulate, he added.
