In the first five months of 2023 (January through May), local manufacturing facilities in Pakistan successfully produced and assembled 4.88 million mobile phones locally, according to official data released by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA). Pakistan imported 0.41 million mobile phones during the same time period.
Local manufacturing facilities provided 1.44 million mobile phones for the month of May 2023. Commercial imports, on the other hand, lagged behind at 0.11 million.
However, it is important to remember that production in the neighborhood’s manufacturing sector fell over the previous 12 months. In contrast to the 24.66 million produced in 2021, the nation produced 21.94 million mobile phones in 2018. The import problems brought on the limitations on LC opening are the primary cause of this reduction.
PTA also revealed that only 1.53 million of the 21.94 million mobile phones that would be built in 2022 were commercially imported. Locally developed and assembled mobile devices totaled 4.88 million, of which 4 million were 2G phones and 0.88 million were smartphones.
In addition, the PTA data shows that 56% of people use smartphones. However, 2G phones are still used by 44% of people.
In contrast, during the first 11 months (July-May) of the current fiscal year 2022–23, Pakistan imported mobile phones worth $516.488 million.The data reveals a significant negative growth rate of 73.46 percent when compared to the $1.946 billion imported during the same time previous year.
Mobile phone imports increased dramatically in May 2023, rising by an impressive 308% month over month to $43.201 million. The Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) reports that it exceeds the $10.587 million in imports that were registered in April 2023.
However, as compared to May 2022, mobile phone imports in May 2023 showed a negative growth rate of 68.52 percent, with the value falling to $137.212 million.
Between July and May 2023, Pakistan imported a total of $860.441 million. In comparison to the $2.597 billion reported during the same period in the prior fiscal year, this is a significant negative growth rate of 66.87%.