25% import duty on cellular phones lifted<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Imports of cellular phones will likely increase
\nnow that the government has lifted the import duty on several
\ntelecommunications products, a senior executive says.<\/p>\n
\"Prices of handsets will absolutely drop when the government
\nlifts the import duty, which means that more people can now
\nafford to purchase them,\" a director of PT Telkomsel, Garuda
\nSugardo, told The Jakarta Post yesterday.<\/p>\n
PT Telkomsel, which is jointly owned by PT Indosat and PT
\nTelkom, is one of the country's three operators of the global
\nsystem for mobile communications (GSM).<\/p>\n
The government announced on Tuesday that it has lifted the 25
\npercent import duty on telephone handsets.<\/p>\n
Garuda said that the decision of the Ministry of Finance to
\nabolish the import duty must be praised, as the global market has
\nshown that handset prices are steadily declining.<\/p>\n
\"But Indonesia should remain selective in importing cellular
\ntelephone handsets even though the import duty has been lifted,\"
\nhe said.<\/p>\n
He said that there are currently about 35 products
\nacknowledged as GSM handsets, of which 13 have been approved by
\nTelkomsel.<\/p>\n
He suggested that import selection should be based on the
\nquality of after-sale services.<\/p>\n
According to Garuda, the price of Telkomsel's handsets will
\nlikely decrease from Rp 2.5 million (US$1,096) at present to Rp 2
\nmillion in the near future.<\/p>\n
The prices of handsets in Indonesia are far more expensive
\nthan in other countries due to the imposition of several levies,
\nincluding taxes and an import duty. (icn)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/25-import-duty-on-cellular-phones-lifted-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}