Tag: revenue loss

  • Telecom operators, govt suffer major revenue losses due to mobile internet shutdown

    Telecom operators, govt suffer major revenue losses due to mobile internet shutdown

    According to reliable sources, the suspension of mobile broadband services has had a devastating impact on the economy in Pakistan. Telecom operators have incurred a revenue loss of approximately Rs820 million, while the government has lost around Rs287 million in tax revenue.

    The suspension has also caused significant losses for digital app users, such as Careem, InDrive, and FoodPanda, as well as brought digital payments to a halt. The situation has caused widespread inconvenience and hardship for the general public, necessitating the immediate attention of the relevant authorities to resume data services.

    Furthermore, social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter remained partially or fully suspended on the second day. Jazz CEO, Aamir Ibrahim, expressed his dissatisfaction through a tweet, emphasising that shutting down the internet is not a solution to any problem, but instead, it creates more problems than it solves. He stated that the impact on the economy is quantifiable, but the inconvenience to the people is incalculable.

    According to Brecorder, Muhammad Zohaib Khan, the Chairman of Pakistan Software Houses Association (P@SHA), strongly criticised the indiscriminate blockage of internet services in Pakistan due to the emergent political situation. He condemned the mindless and consultation-less decision and highlighted that the IT industry has come to a standstill since Tuesday evening.

  • FBR report exposes $7.19 million illegal smartphone imports

    FBR report exposes $7.19 million illegal smartphone imports

    According to an official report from the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), mobile phones worth $7.19 million have been imported into Pakistan illegally without opening letters of credit (LCs) or using the banking channel.

    The report also states that despite an unannounced ban by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) on the import of mobile phones and their accessories, 52 Goods Declarations (GDs) worth $8.65m were cleared between December 2022 and February 2023.

    The mobile phones were imported in Completely Build Up (CBU) condition and only $1.46m was paid legally out of Pakistan through the banking channel. The remaining $7.19m was illegally transferred out of Pakistan. The FBR report does not provide details about the mode of payment made to suppliers in Dubai for the import of these mobile phones.

    The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has stated that manufacturers imported over 190,000 mobile phones in CBU condition under a facility allowed to them. However, despite restrictions set by the banking sector on imports, some companies are still reportedly importing mobile phones under their manufacturing license.

    The import of smartphones has increased, especially after at least 30 manufacturing units in Pakistan halted production due to import restrictions.