ISLAMABAD: The overall telecom imports into the country have decreased by 1.83 percent during July- April 2015-16 period, compared to the same period last year.
According to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), total imports of the sector stood at $1157.89 million in the period under review compared to $1179.49 million during the same period last year. Mobile phone imports in Pakistan have increased by 6.64 percent during the first 10 months (July-April) of the current financial year.
The total imports of mobile phones stood at $635.342 million in the period under review, while imports worth $595.778 million were recorded in the same period last year. Other telecom equipments imports also saw a decline of 10.48 percent during the said period, and stood at $522.55 million against $583.71 million during the same period last year. On the other hand, the government has yet to decide about extending or ending tax holiday on IT exports set to expire in June 2016.
Nearly 40 percent of Pakistan’s companies that provide IT services have moved their businesses to the Emirates, mainly due to the 8 percent additional tax on revenues levied by the government during 2015-16.
