Around 30 mobile phone assembly units have shut down in Pakistan, including three run by foreign brands, the manufacturers claim that they are out of raw materials amid import restrictions. A mobile phone manufacturer said; “My family has three mobile production units, and all are closed,” blaming the government he said that all of these conditions are established due to incompetent and strange policies of the finance ministry.
Markets to Face Mobile Phone Shortages
The mobile phone association of Pakistan has informed the IT Ministry that the local mobile supply had almost stopped and the markets will soon begin to face mobile phone shortages. The association informed that they had run out of raw materials, which mostly came from China, South Korea, and Vietnam. The association chairman highlighted that the situation was equally troubling for consumers, who have to pay significantly higher prices for mobile sets manufactured locally.
A report states that the mobile phone manufacturing industry requires imported parts and components worth $170 million every month to operate at full capacity. But, due to the current economic conditions, the government is not allowing the opening of credit letters amid dollar shortage. As per the details, the government hasn’t issued any letter of credit since the last week of December.
Chinese Experts Leave Pakistan as Mobile Phone Assembly Units Shut Down
The chairman of the mobile phone association revealed that local manufacturers have sent their employees home and 90 percent of Chinese experts had gone back to their country. “This is a serious blow to Pakistan’s reputation as a mobile manufacturer,” the chairman said. “We fear that banks have been verbally instructed by the SBP (State Bank of Pakistan) not to entertain imports by mobile phone manufacturers across Pakistan,” he said.
Also read: Pakistan Manufactured 7.16 Million Phones in First Three Months of 2022
