Association expects rise in number of mobile phones purchased abroad after tax raise

ISTANBUL

REUTERS photo

An expected increase of the customs tax on mobile phones in Turkey will cause a rise of mobile phones brought from abroad, according to sector representatives. 

“With an additional tax on mobile phones, we expect around a 33 percent increase in the number of mobile phones that will be brought by passengers from abroad. We have therefore demanded that the tax charged for each mobile phone to register an international mobile station equipment identity (IMEI) to increase from 131.5 Turkish Liras to 600 liras,” said head of the Association for Mobile Communication Devices and Information Technologies Businessmen (MOBİSAD), Sinan Ekşi. 

He noted that some 750,000 mobile phones were brought into the country last year and expected this figure to rise to 1 million this year. The number of mobile phone that entered Turkey illegally was around 800,000 last year; this is expected to increase to 1.1 million, according to the association. 

Around 14.1 million mobile phones are expected to be sold this year. 

Economy Minister Nihat Zeybekci said the country will put additional import taxes on electronic goods in the upcoming days at a press meeting on July 2.