Pakistan invites Apple, Samsung to manufacture phones

Haroon Akhtar Khan, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister, has been tasked to review and finalise the Mobile & Electronic Devices Manufacturing Policy 2026–33, to attract Apple and Samsung to invest in Pakistan.

Islamabad: Pakistan government has reportedly invited top smartphone makers Apple, Samsung and others to manufacture phones in the country.

Shehbaz Sharif-led government has announced to offer incentives in the proposed Mobile and Electronics Manufacturing Framework, according to a media report on Thursday.

As per the latest reports, Haroon Akhtar Khan, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister, has been tasked to review and finalise the Mobile & Electronic Devices Manufacturing Policy 2026–33.

In addition to manufacturing, the government expects $100 million from the re-export of refurbished iPhones in the first year.

So far, neither Apple nor Samsung have formally agreed to invest in Pakistan.

The policy also recommends the establishment of a dedicated Mobile & Electronics Devices Cell within the Engineering Development Board to ensure effective implementation and coordination, reported The Nation, citing Haroon Akhtar Khan.

He said that Apple had stepped into Indonesia, Malaysia and India with the same model, where it started repairing two to three-year-old iPhones initially aimed at training the local manpower and later began manufacturing those phones.

The government is already giving a 6 per cent performance incentive to the existing mobile phone manufacturers. However, it is going to be increased to 8% to attract Apple and other global manufacturers.

He added that Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Industries and Production Haroon Akhtar Khan and the secretary of industries had extended full support to the new mobile and electronics policy.

"We are also expecting investments of $557 million from Chinese companies in mobile manufacturing," the EDB CEO said, adding that MoUs had been signed during PM Shehbaz Sharif's visit to Beijing.

He anticipated that the new policy would also bring investment to the manufacturing of laptops, tablets, watches, trackers and air buds. The government wants to make Pakistan a regional hub of mobile and electronics exports. "The new policy has been framed while looking at this objective," he remarked.

"We are focusing on localisation of mobile phones and electronics," Mansoor said, adding that phone manufacturers had assured the government that they would increase the use of local parts up to 35% in the first year, which would later be pushed to 50%.

At present, there is 12% localisation in phone manufacturing.

The government has planned to impose an export levy of up to 6% in the Mobile and Electronics Manufacturing Framework to generate funds for technology investment. It expects a collection of Rs62 billion, which would be used for accelerating localisation in phone manufacturing.

"There will be no export levy on phones costing PKRs 50,000 to PKRs 60,000," the CEO said. The levy will be imposed on phones above PKRs 100,000.

At present, the government is implementing a policy to provide electric two-wheelers for people at subsidised rates. It has allocated PKRs 9 billion in the budget to provide a 40% subsidy. Up to 3% tax has been imposed on the gross sale value of conventional local and imported vehicles to roll out the e-bike scheme.

With inputs from agencies.