Sindh · Excise & Taxation · Imported consignments
Sindh Infrastructure Cess Calculator
1.80% to 1.85% of the customs-assessed value, plus one paisa per kilometre of movement. The band comes from the net weight but the rate lands on the value — which is the part that catches people out.
The schedule
Rate by net weight of the consignment
| Net weight | Rate on customs-assessed value | Plus |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 1,250 kg | 1.8% | One paisa per kilometre |
| Over 1,250 kg and up to 2,030 kg | 1.81% | One paisa per kilometre |
| Over 2,030 kg and up to 4,060 kg | 1.82% | One paisa per kilometre |
| Over 4,060 kg and up to 8,120 kg | 1.83% | One paisa per kilometre |
| Over 8,120 kg and up to 16,000 kg | 1.84% | One paisa per kilometre |
| Over 16,000 kg | 1.85% | One paisa per kilometre |
The band is set by the NET WEIGHT of the consignment but the rate applies to its VALUE. The spread is only five basis points from end to end, so weight barely moves the bill — a consignment ten times heavier pays 1.85% instead of 1.80%. Value is what matters.
Reading the result
A provincial charge on goods that move
This is not a federal import levy. Sindh charges it on goods entering or leaving the province by road, which is why it reaches consignments cleared at Karachi and then moved inland — including goods whose final destination is another province entirely.
Importers who budget the federal stack and stop there are the ones surprised by this one, because it appears at a different point and is collected by a different authority.
Weight decides the band
The rate band turns on the net weight of the consignment rather than its value, so two shipments worth the same can sit in different bands. The per-kilometre component then adds a distance element on top, which means the same goods cost more to move further.
It has been litigated
The cess has a long history of challenge in the courts, and consignments have at times been released against bank guarantees pending outcomes. Anyone importing at volume through Sindh should establish the current position rather than assume a settled one, because it has not always been settled.
Where this stops
This applies the published band and the distance component to the figures you enter. The Excise and Taxation Department's assessment governs, and the value it uses is the customs-assessed one rather than your invoice.
FAQs
Sindh Infrastructure Cess FAQs
What is the infrastructure cess?
A Sindh provincial charge on a consignment of goods entering the province from outside the country by air or sea, and on its movement within Sindh. It is levied by the Excise, Taxation and Narcotics Control Department and is separate from federal customs duty and sales tax.
Which value is it charged on?
The total value of the goods as assessed by the customs authorities — not your invoice and not what you paid. Take the figure from the Goods Declaration. Using the invoice value understates the cess whenever customs has uplifted the valuation, which is common.
Does the weight change what I pay?
Barely. The weight decides which band you are in, but the rate only moves from 1.80% under 1,250 kg to 1.85% above 16,000 kg — five basis points across the whole scale. On a Rs 10 million consignment the entire spread is worth Rs 5,000. The value is what drives the bill.
What is the one paisa per kilometre for?
It is charged on the movement of the consignment within the province, on top of the percentage. At Rs 0.01 per kilometre it is small — a 1,000 kilometre haul adds Rs 10 — but it is in the schedule, so this calculator computes it rather than dropping it.
Is the rate applied to the whole value or sliced by band?
The whole value. The band your net weight falls in sets one rate, and that rate applies to the entire assessed value of the consignment. There is no slicing the way an income-tax slab works.
Does it apply to goods coming from elsewhere in Pakistan?
No. The schedule is about goods entering the province from outside the country through air or sea. Domestic movement between provinces is not what this cess reaches.
Is the cess recoverable or adjustable?
It is a provincial levy, not an input tax, so it is not adjustable against sales tax the way federal input tax is. Treat it as a cost of landing the consignment.
Has the cess been litigated?
The infrastructure cess has a long history of challenge in the courts over the province's power to levy it and over how it interacts with federal taxation. Rates and recovery have changed as a result. Check the current position before relying on a figure for anything consequential.
Is this the amount I will be billed?
It is what the published schedule produces from the value and weight you entered. The demand raised against your Goods Declaration governs.
Related tools
Working out the federal side too?
Customs duty, additional customs duty, regulatory duty and sales tax on the same consignment are a separate calculation.
Open the Import Duty Calculator