Mobile handset import bill up 100%: FBS

The demand of handsets in the country has increased its imports sharply as reported almost 100 percent in terms of its imported cost in the first month of current fiscal year 2010-11, July.
Federal Bureau of Statistics figures showed the import bill of mobile handset reached US $ 39 million dollar in the month of July as against the same months cost stood at $ 19.59 million last year, showing 99.15 percent growth.
The gadgets imports’ cost is also 27 percent high compared with the month of June when it reached US $ 30.8 million.
The ballooning handset import bill depicted increasing number of handset units of
different brand particularly Chinese-made mobile handsets. Also, the impact of devaluation of rupee against dollar has contributed its impact to double the amount of handsets imports.
The demand has been witnessed constant surge in the last fiscal year 2009-10 as its high demand of purchasers in domestic markets despite the duty has been maintained at Rs250 per unit.
The Ramadan is also considered one of the sales season as buyers purchase are reportedly surge before and after Eid.
Imran Zaki, Head of Marketing, LG electronics, said the market’s demand is continuously surging particularly the entry stage segment, which includes lowest cost handsets ranging from Rs1,200 to Rs1,700.
He said the demand of Chinese-manufactured handsets have been getting popularity since it entered in the market some two and half years ago. Its popularity is getting more popularity among the customers because of its dual SIMs options and copycat version of branded handsets.
On the other hand, branded mobile handsets such as Nokia, LG and Samsung have also maintained its market in the limited section of the society.
Some of them have also introduced their lowest cost handsets in the market while some brands are still very popular in its market of elite class, he added.