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Mobile imports nearly double despite tattered economy
Kathmandu Post
Kathmandu, Feb. 20 -- Nepal imported mobile phones worth Rs24.06 billion in the first seven months of the fiscal year 2020-21, an 84.67 percent year-on-year jump.
Traders said imports nearly doubled even though the economy flatlined due to the coronavirus, and tens of thousands lost their jobs. One reason why smartphone sales swelled is that students had to attend classes due to the virus threat, traders said.
The rise in legal imports has also been attributed to the immobilisation of the grey market by Covid-19 related restrictions.
According to the Department of Customs, the country imported 4.36 million mobile sets in the first seven months of the current fiscal year that began mid-July.