The national fiscal year 2024-25 budget has proposed a significant reduction in import duties on essential kidney dialysis components, which will lower the cost of kidney dialysis across the country, providing much-needed relief to thousands of patients.

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What gets cheaper, what gets costlier

The import duty on dialysis filters and dialysis circuits, both crucial for the dialysis process, is set to drop from 10% to 1%.

"Dialysis filter and dialysis circuit are two essential components used in the dialysis of kidney patients. I propose reducing the existing import duty from 10% to 1% on the import of these two products," Finance Minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali said during his budget speech at the parliament today.

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Budget 2024-25 - full coverage

The dialysis filter, or dialyser, removes waste items and excess fluids from the blood, whilst the dialysis circuit, a complicated series of tubes, ensures that blood flows properly through the dialysis machine.

These mostly imported items have up until now been subject to a 10% import duty, contributing significantly to the overall cost of treatment.