LAHORE: Traders have criticised the Economic Coordination Committee for imposing Rs 200 import duty on each mobile phone.
“The imposition of duty on cell phones will increase rates of the phones and affect our businesses,” said a mobile phone trader at Hafeez Centre Lahore on Wednesday. He said that the government had imposed the taxes on cellular phones several times.
He added, “Mobile phone has become a necessary tool for everyone in the modern age and the government should facilitate both the people and traders.” He said mobile phones were imported to meet the domestic need. He said that instead of imposing import duty and increasing prices of mobile phones, the government should work to set up and strengthen mobile phone industry in the country.
Ali Ramzan, a mobile phone user, said that imposition of the duty would harm the growth of the sector and put an extra burden on the mobile phone consumers.