KARACHI: The successful implementation of the new mobile phone registration system, introduced by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority, has resulted in a significant increase in commercial imports of mobile phones.
According to statistics available with the media, commercial import of mobile phones has increased by 110 per cent in one year. In the year 2018, 9,564,424 mobile phones were imported, whereas in 2019, 19,834,465 mobile phones have been imported so far.
The documents have further suggested a substantial decrease in illegal imports and smuggling of mobile phones. At the local level, the production of mobile devices has been recorded with an increase of 72 per cent.
Since the introduction of the mobile phone registration, custom duties of more than Rs1.27 billion have been collected.
Importantly, the government has been taking steps to increase domestic manufacturing of mobile phone devices.
The PTA has blocked millions of devices with unregistered International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) numbers. The new system has helped the government generate revenue from legal import of cellular phones.
