ISLAMABAD: Local manufacturing and assembly plants produced 17.34 million mobile handsets in the first half of 2024 (January-June), a significant increase compared to 0.84 million units imported commercially.
According to official data, June alone saw the production of 4.26 million handsets locally, while only 0.08 million were imported. For the first five months of 2024, local production totaled 13.08 million units, with 0.76 million imported.
The 17.34 million locally made or assembled handsets included 6.19 million 2G phones and 11.15 million smartphones. Data from the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) indicates that 61% of mobile devices on the Pakistan network are smartphones, while 39% are 2G devices.
In contrast, Pakistan imported mobile phones worth $1.898 billion in the fiscal year 2023-24, a staggering 233% increase from $570.07 million in the previous fiscal year. In rupee terms, imports amounted to Rs535.69 billion in 2023-24, marking a 291.45% rise from Rs136.85 billion in 2022-23.
Month-on-month, mobile phone imports surged by 76.77% in June 2024, reaching $278.57 million compared to $157.59 million in May 2024. Year-on-year, imports grew by 419.90%, up from $53.58 million in June 2023.
Overall telecom imports also saw a significant increase, totaling $2.366 billion in 2023-24, which is 147.36% higher than the $956.70 million recorded in 2022-23. In June 2024 alone, telecom imports were $320.09 million, reflecting a 232% year-on-year growth from $96.42 million in June 2023 and a 51.28% month-on-month rise from $211.59 million in May 2024.
