Noel Wandera
1 July 2005
Nairobi — The Government will soon ban importation of second-hand mobile handsets.
Information and Communication Minister Raphael Tuju made the declaration on Wednesday as he cautioned GSM manufacturers to stop dumping old phones in the local market.
"I wish to note that measures are being put in place to ensure that dumping of old mobile handsets in the country in the name of refurbished phones is abolished," said Tuju.
He said a similar measure was being considered for software systems used to tamper with handset serial numbers.
Tuju's assistant, David Were, delivered the minister's speech during a ceremony to officially launch the LG GSM range of phones at a Nairobi hotel.
He asked manufacturers to import handsets with high water and dust efficiencies and longer battery life.
Analysts says the cheap refurbished handsets represent the flip side of the taxation coin after the Government zero-rated tax on the items to enhance the GSM market.
The ceremony was attended by LG Electronics Nairobi Office General Manager Woo Won Na and XCOM Kenya Managing Director Bernard Shomba.
Won Na said LG Electronics had spent Sh6 million to set up their GSM division office in Nairobi.
He said it was the first in the region and will be used as market penetration point for Uganda and Tanzania.
Shomba said dealers were running huge costs because 50 out of every 100 mobile handsets they purchased are faulty and without warrants.
"In the end, we dump the imports and lose money since nobody guarantees them," said Shomba.
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