According to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, Pakistan imported $1.270 billion worth of mobile phones in the first seven months of the current fiscal year, up from $1.135 billion in the same time previous year, a jump of 11.86 percent despite increased local manufacture (PBS).
Mobile phone imports into Pakistan declined by 23.15 percent month over month in January 2022, to $179.768 million from $233.917 million in December 2021, according to PBS statistics.
In the period under review, total telecom imports into the nation climbed by 19.53 percent, from $1.382 billion in July-January 2020-21 to $1.652 billion in July-January 2021-22.
On a year-on-year basis, mobile phone imports witnessed a decrease of 8.68 percent when compared to January 2021.
Overall telecom imports into the nation fell by 21.83 percent in January 2022, to $229.190 million, compared to $293.193 million in December 2021.
On a year-over-year basis, total telecom imports dropped by 21.83 percent. Imports of other apparatus climbed by 54.77 percent from July to January this fiscal year, reaching $382.079 million, up from $244.868 million the previous year.
Other apparatus imports decreased by 16.62 percent month over month, to $49.422 million in January 2022, compared to $59.276 million in December 2021, and increased by 63.49 percent when compared to $30.230 million in January 2021.
Local manufacturing firms produced/assembled 24.66 million mobile devices in calendar year 2021, up from 13.05 million in 2020, an increase of 88 percent.
According to official statistics from the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority, commercial imports of mobile phones decreased to 10.26 million in 2021 from 24.51 million in 2020. (PTA).
In December 2021, the number of locally manufactured/assembled mobile devices climbed by 2.54 million, bringing the total output for the calendar year to 24.66 million. In 2021, domestic manufacturing facilities produced more than twice the number of mobile handsets compared to the number of commercial mobile phones imported into the nation.