BAKU, Azerbaijan, Feb. 21
By Ilkin Seyfaddini – Trend:
Paid registration of mobile devices by IMEI codes has already brought 25.3 billion soum ($2.6 million) to Uzbekistan, Trend reports citing Uzbek media.
From 1 December 2019 to date, 566,772 mobile devices have been registered, and the received 25.3 billion soum have been sent to the special General Fund. The funds will be used to implement projects on development of telecommunication infrastructure in villages and remote areas, tourist and recreational regions, the report says.
According to the monitoring conducted by the Committee on Innovative Development, 13,500 mobile phones worth $1.8 million were imported in 2018 and 80,000 mobile phones worth $5.5 million in first ten months of 2019.
In November and December 2019, 460,800 devices for $17.4 million were officially purchased, and only 110,400 mobile phones worth $8.5 million - for the month and a half of 2020.
From December 1, 2019, when the registration of mobile devices became paid, citizens have applied to the Legislative Chamber of the Parliament with questions on how reasonable it is to charge 44,600 soum (almost $5) for registration of identification IMEI codes and where the proceeds go.
The “Mening Fikrim” (My Thoughts) national portal for public appeals has posted a petition for simplifying the procedure for registering mobile devices using IMEI codes and cancelling the fee.
The proposal has received public support and is to be submitted to the Parliament for consideration.