Levying 10 percent mobile set import tariff will cut smuggling

“High import tariff has prevented authorized importers from competing with smugglers, resulting in 80 percent of the market being swarmed by sets without valid warranties,” Pedram Elikaee told Mobna news agency.
“With a 15 percent cut in the current rate (from the current 25 percent) all mobile sets, with or without valid warranties, will face cuts in prices, leading, in turn, authorized agents to offer wider selections,” he added.
It is nearly two years since mobile set import tariff was raised in a bid to protect domestic manufacturing.
The policy of first raising the tariff from four to 60 percent then cutting it to 25 percent has failed to ease the way for domestic manufacturing.
During the period not only domestic manufacturers could not meet their target of 2 million sets per year but it allowed smuggling to flourish by the day.

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