Mobile phone import drops by 45% to Rs. 11 billion

By A Staff Reporter, Kathmandu, Nov. 27: Import of mobile phones has decreased significantly during the first four months of the current fiscal year 2022/23.

According to the statistics of the Department of Customs, about 1.7 million mobile sets, including 729,395 smartphones, have been imported in the first four months (mid-July to mid-November 2022) of the current fiscal year.

About Rs. 11.03 billion have been spent for the import of mobile phones during these four months.

After the government banned the import of mobile phones costing more than 300 US dollars, the import of smartphones has almost halved.

This is 45 per cent less than the same period of the last fiscal year 2021/22.

About 2.61 million phone sets worth Rs. 20.26 billion were imported during the first four months of the last fiscal year.

The government collected revenue of Rs. 2.31 billion from the import of about 1.7 million mobile sets during the review period of the current fiscal year.

The government has tightened the import of mobile phones due to pressure on foreign exchange reserves.

Since April 26 this year, the government has restricted the import of phones worth up to 600 US dollars until mid-July.

Later, by modifying the import restriction, it tightened the import of phones up to 300 US dollars until August, this year.

Therefore, expensive smartphones have not been brought into Nepali market since April. Lately, most of the customers are choosing expensive phones.

The import of mobile phones has decreased due to inability to bring the phones according to the customers’ choice. Among the total number of phones imported during the four months of the current fiscal year, there are 729,395 smartphones worth Rs. 10.10 billion. During the review period, the country imported 852,091 mobile phone chargers worth Rs. 45 million.

The Department does not have the data on phones sent as gifts from abroad.

The country imported around 5.76 million of mobile phone sets, including smart phones worth Rs. 40.89 billion, during the last fiscal year 2021/22.

The government collected revenue of Rs. 6.45 billion from the import of mobile phones during that year.