Gifts exceeding $300 to become state property under new Toshakhana policy

The federal cabinet has introduced a new Toshakhana (gift repository) policy with immediate effect prohibiting all state officials from retaining gifts by foreign dignitaries worth $300 or more. The new policy - Toshakhana Procedure for the Acceptance and Disposal of Gifts, 2023 - is dated March 8 and was released alongside the Toshakhana records.  A blanket ban on keeping gifted items worth millions has been placed on officials including the prime minister, president, cabinet members, judges as well as civil and military officers. These items include cars, watches, jewellery and cash, among other valuables. Read Cabinet vows austerity at all levels The value of the gifted items will be determined by experts at the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and a private firm. Furthermore, in the case of weapons, the value of the items will be determined by the POF and a private firm. According to the newly introduced Toshakhana policy, all cash gifts will be deposited into the national treasury and all gold and silver coins are to be transferred to the State Bank of Pakistan, while gifted vehicles will be given to the Central Pool of Cars. Other gifted items are to be displayed at prominent government buildings. Also noteworthy is that the policy dictates all civil and military officials can only buy gifted items worth $300 or less at the market value only. For all gifts exceeding the $300 value that cannot be donated or displayed, citizens will be able to buy the items through an open auction. Read More Cabinet vows austerity at all levels All officials, except the prime minister and the president, will also be prohibited from accepting gifts for their family members. Strict punitive action will be taken against individual recipients if they fail to adhere to the new policy and all officials will be bound to provide details of the gifts they receive to the Cabinet Division. The policy had first been presented before the cabinet in January and after due consideration has been approved today. It may be noted that on Monday, the federal government made the 466-page record of Toshakhana from 2002 to 2023 public by uploading it on the official website of the Cabinet Division. The move was made on the instructions of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The recipients of the gifts from foreign dignitaries include former presidents, prime ministers, federal ministers and government officials.

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