SWAT: The coronavirus pandemic has hit the mobile phones business hard in Khyber Pakhtunkhawa as hundreds of thousands of people associated with the smart phones trade are facing numerous troubles.
A visit to different markets of mobile phone parts and accessories in different parts of KP showed that rates are increasing with every passing day as wholesale dealers complain of shortage of supplies. Higher prices are also affecting the general public and mobile users.
Wahab Mohmand and Shahab Mohmand, who are brothers and wholesale dealers of mobile phones and accessories in Peshawar’s Main Sadder bazaar, told APP that they were paying huge rents in posh area but their business had turned to almost zero as far as visits of customers, small shopkeepers
They urged the government to take steps and facilitate traders losing millions of rupees on daily basis.
Shah Faisal, another mobile phones dealer from Khawzakhala Swat said, Malakand Region is Pakistan’s second largest division and a good number of people especially from Swat are attached to this business.
He said locals in Swat switched their business from tourism to mobile phones after situation in the region normalized after end of terrorism.
Shah Faisal said the coronavirus crisis have confined locals to their residences and mobile phone markets located in Mingora city, Dir Upper, Dir Lower, Buner, and Chitral are now giving deserted look.
“And those running their businesses have to pay huge amount in terms of rents, electricity bills and other routine expenditures,” he said, adding mobile phone business ratio is decreasing day by day.
Vice President of Swat Mobile Phone Industry Muhammad Usman says mobile phone industry is suffering a lot from the virus spread, which has severely hit the business.
“We are selling out products which we have in stocks after Pakistan has suspended trade activities with China. We have already paid advanced payments to the relevant mobile companies but now in the current situation all orders are stuck,” Usman added.
He said due to the shortage of accessories, prices have jumped to almost double in the market whose impact is directly on the consumers.
Another dealer Talha Khan says mobile business is disturbed due to the border closure as whole-sellers have increased rates of accessories and mobiles parts.
A single mobile cover, which earlier cost Rs200, is now being sold in Rs 400, restricting buyers.
Barkat Khan, a mobile dealer, said, “Normally we were selling 10 mobile phone sets of each company who was bound to dispatch 20 mobile phone sets but since last one month we are getting less quantity of phones from the companies.”
KP’s mobile phones traders have appealed to the government to formulate a strategy for those traders who are having business ties with Chinese companies.
Pakistan should take measures by building up factories where mobile phones related items could be manufactured, they maintained.
