Illegal mobile imports controlled

Traders should register each incoming handset

Importers of mobile phones will have to register each imported handset at the two local network operators as of June 1. The new requirement intends to control the illegal importation of mobile phones. Phones imported illegally do not pay Customs fees and Value Added Tax (VAT).

The decision, issued by the Ministry of Telecommunications (MoT) in December, involves mobile phones, PC tablets, routers, and dongles. Mobile devices that have been put in usage before June are exempted from the new measure. Devices that use GPS (trackers) are also exempted.

According to the MoT, up to 70 percent of the local mobile devices market is illegal.
The network operators will maintain a database of the serial identification number for each handset, called the International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI). A handset will not be able to enter into service unless it is identified by the networks