Tehran, Iran, Dec.15
Trend:
The implementation of Iran’s National Mobile Registry Scheme has stopped smuggling of cellphones and provided the foreign currency needed for importing mobiles, the Head of Iran Union of Audio-Video Equipment and Cell Phone Sellers Ebrahim Dorosti told Trend.
"This will help reduce the current prices by 40-50 percent," he said.
“Iran's National Mobile Registry Scheme has launched since the beginning of the Iranian New Year (March 20, 2018) and remarkably reduced the smuggling of cellphones,” he said.
“Some $480 million worth of cellphones were annually smuggled into the country, so that 90 percent of the cellphones in the market were smuggled, but this year, due to implementation of the scheme, there was no smuggling at all", he added.
With the implementation of Iran’s National Mobile Registry Scheme back in October of 2017, all new mobile phones must be registered to be eligible for using Iranian SIM Cards.
"Right now, the ordering of import of mobile phones in Iran is free and authorized, but the Union expects the government to provide the needed currency by the Integrated System for Hard Currency Transactions (NIMA) rate."
"The union expects government to allocate foreign currency at NIMA rate (8,700 rials per US dollar), to import 75 percent of cellphones that cost less than $170, and the remaining 25 percent would be imported through free market currency rate", he added.
“The turnover of the first 75 percent is equal to remaining 25 percent," Dorosti said. "The cellphone price is falling due to drop of foreign currency rate. The officials say the real US dollar rate is 70,000 rial."
"The union expects the market conditions to become better, thanks to the current policies,” he said referring to appointment of the new governor of Central Bank of Iran and new Minister of Industry, Mine and Trade.
Speaking about the main source of importing cellphones, Dorosti said the majority of cell phones are imported from China, that are basically produced by the licensed companies.
Pointing to Iran's financial transactions with China for cellphone imports, he said that these transactions are still being done through legal financial channels, however there are limitations due to US sanctions.
"But the financial channels for cellphone, audio and video appliances imports are open," he said. "We hope the legal channels would not close."
