Govt incurs loss of Tk 10b due to illegal handsets shipments: BMPIA

The government is incurring a direct loss of around Tk 10 billion(1000 crore) every year due to unchecked volumes of handset shipments into the country through unauthorized channels, said Bangladeshi Mobile Phone Importers Association (BMPIA) on Tuesday, reports UNB.

Approximately around 2.5 million handsets are coming through illegal channels annually and the market value of those devices is around Tk 3 billion, said BMPIA president Ruhul Alam Al Mahbub while talking to reporters at a city hotel.

He also said the country's mobile market is of around Tk 10,000 crore and 30 percent of which is in the grip of importers who are bringing those here through improper channels evading taxes and other due process.

If the situation continues, the legitimate importers will gradually lose their enthusiasm and will be bound to shrink their business activities that ultimately will incur huge loss to the government's revenues generation," said the speakers.

Over the last nine months of this year, around 2.30 crores mobile phone sets were imported to the country, among which 50 lakhs were smartphones, they said.

Moreover, only 10 per cent iPhones are being imported to the country in valid means while 90 per cent of those devices come through illegal paths, they added.

BMPIA Vice President Rezwanul Haque, General Secretary Jakaria Shahid and Joint Secretary Mesbah Uddin, among others, spoke on the occasion.