Mobile Imports and Local Manufacturing Soar in July-October of FY2023-24
Pakistan’s mobile sector has seen substantial growth, particularly in mobile imports and local manufacturing. The mobile phone imports during the first four months of the fiscal year 2023–24 (July–October), with the total reaching $469.992 million. This is a significant increase of 107.91 percent over the same time previous year, when imports totaled $226.051 million.
The Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) reports a 33.20 percent month-on-month rise in mobile phone imports for October 2023, totaling $165.941 million. This represents a significant increase from the September 2023 figure of $124.576 million. Year on year, mobile phone imports in October 2023 increased by 152.27 percent compared to the same month in 2022, when imports were registered at $65.780 million.
Overall telecom imports reached $606.865 million from July to October 2023, representing a 75.60 percent increase over the same period in the previous fiscal year, which was $345.595 million. Looking further into the statistics, telecom imports increased by 114.65 percent year on year in October 2023, hitting $207.789 million, up from $96.805 million in October 2022. On a month-to-month basis, October 2023 saw a 30.94 percent rise from $158.688 million in September 2023.
Moving to local manufacturing, plants produced/assembled 13.02 million mobile devices during the first nine months of 2023 (January–September), exceeding the 1.09 million commercially imported units. Local manufacturing plants assembled 2.15 million mobile phones in September 2023, whereas commercially imported devices totaled 0.25 million.
Local manufacturing firms produced/assembled 21.94 million mobile devices in the calendar year 2022, a decrease from the 24.66 million produced in 2021. This decrease is related to difficulties in imports, particularly the ban on issuing Letters of Credit (LCs).
According to the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), of the 13.02 million locally manufactured/assembled mobile phones, 9.01 million were 2G and 4.02 million were smartphones.
Furthermore, according to PTA statistics, 57 percent of mobile devices on the Pakistan network are smartphones, with the remaining 43 percent being 2G devices. This shift in device composition reflects the evolving technological landscape and consumer preferences in the country. The increasing popularity of smartphones implies that the Pakistani population has a rising need for improved mobile capabilities and features.
Finally, a surge in mobile phone imports, along with significant strides in local manufacturing, provides a dynamic picture of Pakistan’s telecom business. The data highlights the sector’s resilience and adaptability in the face of challenges, making a substantial contribution to the country’s technical environment.
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