When National Assembly approved the Finance Bill 2022, the federal government imposed a levy on the mobile phones that Pakistanis will import during the fiscal year 2022-2023. iPhone is already a costly phone in Pakistan. Now, iPhone has become more costly, due to the import tax imposed by the federal government in June 2022.
Currently, the government has increased the import taxes on mobile phones almost twice. Due to this action by the government, iPhone has become more expensive. The tax has increased this much, that the cost of a simple iPhone 14 is more than iPhone 13 Pro Max released last year with double the storage.
According to the new rates, the price of a 128 GB iPhone 14 is 419,999, while the cost of a basic iPhone 14 Plus must be 459,999. The amazing iPhone 14 Pro you can get at the cheapest price will be Rs 489,999 and to buy iPhone 14 Pro Max, you will have to pay a whopping amount of 529,999.
Though the rates we told you are the commercial rates which are always more than the total cost of a phone plus import taxes. These rates are operative since August 2022 and will be applicable until next year on the same date. As always, the charges differ for the imports that are made through passports and imports made through CNIC.
Though if we consider the latest rates, if you import an iPhone 14 through a passport, it will cost you around Rs. 276, 100. The cost of a base iPhone is $799, which if we convert it into a Pakistani rupee is Rs. 184,701. These prices show that there is indeed a huge difference, in which phone retailers will have to pay to import the latest apple phones.
Such big price margins showcase that all upcoming phones in the future, especially flagship phones will be launched by companies like even Samsung with a huge price tag unaffordable for most people. For example, Samsung’s new folding phones will approximately launch at Rs. 400,000 or even more than that.
Hence, considering the updated new taxes imposed by the government, even if a person sells their two kidneys they will not be able to afford to buy the latest Apple or Samsung phones. Middle-class people will have to rely on Chinese companies, as they cannot afford to buy big company phones.
Because our government imposes double taxes on phones, some people illegally buy phones at cheap prices and then get them registered to pay a small amount. That’s why government must think before imposing double taxes on phones, as every action has a reaction. But in the case of Pakistanis, every action of government has a negative reaction.
