The import of mobile phones into the country plummeted by 36.35% during April 2020 as compared to the corresponding period of last year due to the low demand and disruption in supply chains amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Pakistan imported mobile phones worth $47.61 million, as compared to the imports of $74.81 million in the same month of last year. On a month-on-month basis, the imports of mobile phones declined by 58.51% during April 2020, as compared to the imports of $114.783 million during March 2020, according to the data published by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics.
However, it witnessed a growth of 62.59% during the first ten months of the current fiscal year (2019-20) as compared to the corresponding period of last year.
Pakistan imported mobile phones worth $1.027 billion during July-April (2019-20) as compared to the imports of $632.002 million during July-April (2018-19), showing a massive growth of 62.59%, according to the latest data issued by Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).
However, due to extraordinary circumstances, non-registered device IMEIs which were to be blocked between 18th March to 3rd June 2020 will now start getting blocked from 4th June 2020.
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Overall, telecom imports saw an increase of 23.53% during July-April 2019-20 as compared to last year. Telecom imports were recorded at $1.42 billion during this period as compared to $1.15 billion in the same period of last year. Telecom imports stood at $91.15 million in April 2020 as compared to $170.27 million during March 2019 plummeting by 46.46%.
Other telecom apparatus imports witnessed a decline of over 23.51% in July-April 2019-20 as they stood at $401.43 million against $524.83 million during the same period last year. When compared to March 2020, other telecom apparatus imports registered a decline of 21.53% to $43.54 million in April 2020.
Exports witnessed a massive decline of 47.24% in April 2020, with their value dropping from $1.81 billion in the previous month to $957 million, according to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics.
Imports for April dropped to $3.08 billion, down by 6.88% as compared to $3.31 billion in March 2020. However, the trade deficit was widened by 42% month on month to $2.31 billion in April 2020 as compared to $1.50 billion in March 2020 due to the decline in exports.
Stupidly high amount of taxes charged by the Government is one of the major factors as well.