President Pakistan Businessmen and Intellectuals Forum (PBIF), Mian Zahid Hussain has said that devaluation of rupee, imposition of regulatory duty and discouraging smuggling have increased the prices of cell phones in the market which offer local investors huge opportunity to establish local manufacturing facilities here in Pakistan. He said Pakistan is a good market for manufacturing mobile phones, telecom and internet equipment.
However, investors seem more interested in importing these things rather than setting up manufacturing units across the country for local production of the same. Mian Zahid Hussain said that around 140 million consumers are using cell phones while 45 million are using broadband which shows high demand of the two in the country.
He noted that the prices of cheap mobile phones used by the poor have also increased due to the steps taken by the government. The authorities should try to make the phones used by poor a little cheaper, he demanded. The number of 3G and 4G users continues to rise while the users of portable internet devices are also increasing at a rapid pace. The telecom and mobile companies need to improve their services so that more people can be attracted while the government can review the taxation regime.