KARACHI: Switched on to the needs of users in the country, China’s Hisense said it will start assembling smartphones in Pakistan from January next year, after successfully manufacturing LED and laser TVs in the country, officials said on Saturday.
“The process of installing a modern assembly line for the smartphones will be completed by the end of December this year at an estimated cost of approximately $3 to $4 million,” M. Tariq Zubairi, CFO of Tri-Angels Electronic, the manufacturer and distributors of Hisense in Pakistan, told Arab News.
With the completion of the assembly line, Tri-Angels Electronics will become the first entity to locally assemble smartphones in the country. “The locally-assembled smartphones will be available in markets across Pakistan from March 2019,” Zubairi said.
At a whopping cost of $848 million during the fiscal year 2017-2018, Pakistan imported 60 percent of its TV sets from China, followed by Korea.
“At present no one is assembling smartphones in Pakistan. Locally-assembled smartphones will benefit the country … consumers will be able to acquire the phones at lower prices and employment opportunities will open up for many others,” Muhammad Rizwan Irfan, President of Karachi Electronic Dealers’ Association, said.
According to several dealers, Pakistan imports approximately 1.4 million television sets every year and, with the introduction of 3G and 4G services, this number is steadily increasing, Irfan said.
Hisense, along with its Pakistani partner, has invested $1.5 million to set up the phone assembly plant and is also in the process of setting up another assembly line for bigger TV sets. Each assembly line has the capacity to produce around 500 units per day, reducing the dependency on imported TV sets by almost 75 percent.
The total Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the first two months remained $288 million, down by 40 percent. Pakistan’s power sector was the major recipient of foreign investment with up to $201 million, data released by the State Bank of Pakistan on Friday showed.
Since the inception of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor, China has emerged as the single largest foreign investor in Pakistan, with Chinese companies investing $170.6 million during the first two months (July-August) of the current fiscal year.
Headquartered in Qingdao, Hisense, founded in 1969, has a total workforce of 75,000 and earned an overseas sales revenue of $4.2 billion (CNY 111.1 billion) in 2017.
Hisense has its finger on Pakistan’s pulse
Hisense has its finger on Pakistan’s pulse
Australia says father and son carried out Sydney beach attack as Pakistan condemns violence
- Australian authorities say at least 15 people were killed in the shooting, including a 10-year-old girl
- Pakistan says it stands in solidarity with Australia, condemns terrorism in all forms and manifestations
ISLAMABAD: Australian authorities said on Monday a father and son carried out a mass shooting at Sydney’s Bondi Beach during a Jewish festival, as Pakistan expressed solidarity with Australia and condemned the attack that claimed at least 15 lives.
Police said the 50-year-old father was shot dead at the scene while his 24-year-old son was wounded and taken into custody after the gunmen opened fire on crowds gathered for a Hanukkah celebration at the popular beach.
“We want to get to the bottom of this,” New South Wales police commissioner Mal Lanyon said on Monday. “We want to understand the motives behind it.”
A 10-year-old girl was among the 15 dead in Australia’s worst mass shooting for almost 30 years, while 42 more were rushed to hospital with gunshot wounds and other injuries.
Pakistan’s government said it stood with Australia following the shooting, reiterating its opposition to such incidents amid renewed militant violence at home.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed condolences to the victims and said Pakistan condemned “terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.”
President Asif Ali Zardari also conveyed sympathy to the victims’ families and wished the injured a speedy recovery.
“Pakistan itself a victim of terrorism, stands in solidarity with & condemns violence against innocent civilians,” he said.
Pakistan has faced a resurgence in militant attacks in recent months, particularly in its northwest. On Sunday, Sharif praised security forces after they killed 13 militants in two separate operations in the Mohmand and Bannu districts, according to a statement from his office.
Australian police said the attackers fired from a raised boardwalk overlooking the beach, sending people fleeing in panic. Authorities later discovered what they described as an improvised explosive device in a vehicle parked near the scene, which they believe was linked to the attackers.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said tougher gun controls may be needed, including limits on the number of firearms an individual can own, after police confirmed the father held licenses for six weapons believed to have been used in the attack.
Mass shootings have been rare in Australia since sweeping gun law reforms were introduced after the 1996 Port Arthur massacre, but Albanese said the latest attack required authorities to reassess whether existing controls remained sufficient.
With input from AFP
