Political turbulence has dragged down import of mobile phones by 13.29 percent during the first half of the current fiscal year as compared to the corresponding period of last fiscal year, market sources said on Tuesday.
The country imported 365.184 million dollars worth mobile phones during July-December 2007 period as compared to $421.166 million during the same period of last fiscal year, depicting a slump of 55.982 million dollars, or 13.29 percent, according to official statistics.
Similarly, import of mobile phones declined by 1.457 million dollars, or 2.14 percent during December 2007, as compared to December 2006. The country's import of mobile phone sets stood at 66.558 million dollars during December 2007 as compared to 68.015 million dollars during December 2006.
However, a robust growth of 14.165 million dollars, or 24 percent, was witnessed in the import of mobile phones during December 2007 as compared to 52.393 million dollars during November 2007. Sources held the deteriorating law and order situation in the wake of political unrest across the country responsible for decline in import of mobile phones.
Despite market spillover and unabated crimes of phone snatching across the country, particularly in Karachi, customers still prefer to purchase mobile phones available with latest features, they said.
However, majority of customers prefer the Chinese mobiles for their low cost, as they are available in all shapes, designs and brands in the markets, sources said, and added that import of mobile phones of the international brands from Europe and US had declined significantly in recent months.
They said that people were now more price-conscious due to fears of mobile phones thefts, lost or snatching at gunpoint, which also gave rise to popularity graph of the Chinese mobile phones.
To a question, they said that Chinese mobiles are also available in many varieties and their level of quality depends on their price--the weak quality one was tagged with lower price while the durable one was expensive but not like European or US made ones.
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