ISLAMABAD: The government announced several reforms on Thursday in multiple public sectors like customs, banking, overseas Pakistanis, information technology, health and social welfare to ensure smooth service delivery.

The reforms announced by Head of Prime Minister`s Strategic Reforms Salman Sufi in a press conference allow Pakistanis travelling abroad to return with duty-free baggage of up to $1,200, besides ensuring swift enlistment of small enterprises with SECP, security of women in trains, two-wheelers transportation facility for women and curbing the issue of bogus cheques in private transactions.

Moreover, cruelty to animals will now be a punishable offence and the of fender could be jailed.Mr Sufi told reporters FBR had notified new rules to settle the personal baggage limit of international travel1ers arriving in Pakistan, under which their personal luggage would be dutyfree. Pakistanis returning home within 30 days, 60 days and onward could carry duty-free baggage worth up to $400, $800 and $1200, respectively.

As for banking sector reforms, he said a portal launched by the SECP would f acilitate banks for online opening of fast-track accounts of small and medium enterprises without the need for typical documentation work.

Similarly, digital freelancers engaged in exporting sof tware would now be able to open their bank accounts through their computerised nadonalidendtycardsandthepostal address mentioned on them would be treated as their of ficial address.

To prevent bogus cheques, the State Bank of Pakistan would launch an app to provide details of account holders showing whether their cheques have everbouncedordishonoured.Another banking reform would enable an existing account holder of a bank to open more accounts with other banks without indulging in the process that they had to go through the first time.

In another measure, an online Directorate of Protectorate was being launched to facilitate emigrants, following which there was no need for them to visit the directorate concerned in person as all documents would be processed online, including the electronic stamp that would be verified by the immigration staff of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) at airports.

Commenting on the measures taken in the social services, he said an online application was being launched within a month to help citizens f acing physiologicalissues due to any reason. Moreover, a nationwide hotline was being launched in collaboration with the human rights ministry to register and resolve transgender people`s complaints in an effective manner.-Syed Irf an Raza