Telecom import s up 21.84%, mobile phones 30.18% in 1st quarter

ISLAMABAD: The telecom imports into the country increased by 21.84 percent during the first quarter of the current fiscal year as against the imports of the corresponding period of last year. The telecom imports during July-September (2017-18) were recorded at $333.701 million compared to the imports of $273.895 million during July-September (2016-17), according to the latest data of Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS). Among the telecom products, the imports of mobile phones witnessed growth of 30.18 percent during the first three months of the current year compared to last year. The mobile phone imports into the country were recorded at $190.795 million during the first quarter compared to the imports of $146.566 million during last year. The imports of other telecom products also increased by 12.23 percent by going up from the imports of $127.329 million last year to $142.906 million during the current fiscal year, the data revealed. Meanwhile, on a year-on-year basis, the telecom imports into the country witnessed decrease of 0.43 percent during the month of September 2017 compared to the September 2016. The telecom imports during September 2017 were recorded at $102.781 million against the imports of $103.229 million during September 2016. The mobile imports on year on year basis increased by 14.01 percent, from $53.859 million during September 2016 to $61.403 million while the imports of other telecom apparatus witnessed negative growth of 16.19 percent by falling form the imports of $49.370 million last year to $41.378 during the first quarter of current year. On a month-on-month basis, the telecom imports decreased by 12.08 percent in September 2017 when compared to the imports of $116.905 million during August 2017. The mobile phone imports witnessed decrease of 26.22 percent on month-on-month basis during September 2017 when compared to the imports of $56.083 million in August 2016 while the imports of other telecom apparatus also decreased by 28.48 percent in September 2017 when compared to the imports of 12.240 million in August 2016, the data revealed.