Smartphone import has decreased in Karktik FY 2082/83 after the end of the month-long festive season. In a report published by the Department of Customs, Nepali traders imported over 1.38 lakh smartphones in Kartik 2082. The figure is dwarfed in comparison to the numbers from the previous month.
People buy mostly budget phones in Nepal, but a growing number of people also buy flagship phones. But the prospect of buying is higher in the festive period, as we saw in the previous months. We also see a growing trend of people buying 5G phones thanks to their affordable pricing these days. But still, the midrange phones account for a large share of the import figures. We have more details below coming from the official report from the DoC.
Smartphones imported into Nepal in Kartik FY 2082/83
The report shows that Nepali traders brought in 1 lakh 38 thousand, 966 units of smartphones in Kartik FY 2082/83. In amount value, it was worth Rs 2 arba and 52 crore. From the imports, the government generated Rs 47.10 crore in revenue.
| Smartphones import | Units of smartphones | Value |
| Kartik FY 2082/83 | 1,38,966 | Rs 2.52 arba |
| Ashoj FY 2082/83 | 2,96,167 | Rs 4.75 arba |
In Ashoj this year, 2 lakh 96 thousand, and 167 smartphones were imported into Nepal worth over Rs 4.75 arba. The Ashoj smartphone import in FY 2082/83 was high due to the festive season.
Nepali mobile phone traders import smartphones mostly from China, India, and other countries. According to the DoC report, Nepali traders brought in over 8.24 units of smartphones worth Rs 13 arba from China till Kartik. After that, over 1.17 lakh units of smartphones worth Rs 3 arba came from India.
Better to buy legal phones
But these are official figures only. Besides these, there still exists a grey market where traders bring phones across the border, mainly without registration in Nepal. This poses security risks to buyers and issues in their retrieval if they are lost. NTA had tried to implement the Mobile Device Management System (MDMS) to curb the grey phone market, but that has gone AWOL now.
So, we suggest that everyone prefer to buy the officially registered phones, which are legal and authorized.
