In February 2023, 2.35 million mobile devices were produced or assembled in local factories in ISLAMABAD, whereas only 0.19 million were commercially imported.
In 2022, domestic factories produced and assembled 21.94 million mobile phones, down from 24.66 million in 2021 due to difficulties with imports caused by the tightening of restrictions on the issuance of letters of credit (LCs).
According to the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority, domestic factories produced 21.94 million mobile phones in 2022, while just 1.53 million were imported legally (PTA).
Out of the 2.35 million mobile phone devices that were made or assembled domestically, 1.87 million were 2G phones and 0.48 million were smartphones.
Moreover, 57% of mobile devices are smartphones, and 43% are 2G, according to data from the Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA).
For the first eight months (July-January) of the current fiscal year 2022-23, Pakistan imported mobile phones worth $ 447.855 million, down 68.29 percent from the $ 1.412 billion imported during the same period last year.
Mobile phone imports decreased by 36.39 percent month over month (MoM) in February 2023, to $ 33.054 million, compared to $ 51.960 million in January 2023, according to statistics from the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).
Imports of mobile phones fell by $ 76.73 billion, or -76.73%, year over year in February 2023, to $ 142.033 million, compared to February 2022.
Mobile manufacturing low as compared to the last year
When compared to the same period last fiscal year, total imports of telecommunications equipment into the country were down 62.08 percent, from $ 1.869 billion to $ 708.798 million.
Comparing February 2022 with February 2021, imports of telecom equipment showed a YoY decline of 70.22 percent, from $ 217.396 million to $ 64.741 million. The total value of imports of telecommunications equipment, services, and components increased by 17.36 percent in February 2023, compared to January 2023’s $ 78.337 million.
In the fiscal year of 2022-2023, between the months of July and February, imports of other machinery were $ 260.944 million, down 42.90% from the $ 456.967 million imported in the corresponding period of the previous fiscal year.
Other equipment sales were stable at $31.687 million in February 2023, down 57.95 percent from the $75.364 million recorded in the previous year. Month-over-month sales, however, increased 20.13 percent from the $26.377 million seen in the previous month.
To read our article about “Britain announces plans to put refugees in military bases” click here.
