Ban Aimed On Sale Of Used Computers

The ministry of information technology has been asked to draft a proposal for a ban on the import of used computers and IT accessories. The secretary of the IT ministry had received a letter from President Asif Ali Zardari asking him to highlight factors that demanded the action named above.

The move may benefit multinational companies dealing in new computers and increase their profits, take computers out of the range of poor students and affect livelihood of thousands of vendors dealing in used computers.
At present there is no indigenous manufacture of computers and IT equipment. All computers, used and new, are being imported.

Under No Circumstances should the ban be imposed, as there is no way a common man can buy a new computer, but today a common man can buy a pentium 3 , with a monitor, good enough to watch a movie, learn basic language, and do basic stuff from it for a mere 3500 rupees and there is NO WAY a new computer trader can even come close to that price.

Intel, the world’s largest manufacturer of branded computers and IT accessories, is the main supplier in Pakistan. Although Intel has many marketing outlets in Pakistan, it has not set up a manufacturing plant in the country. It has one in India.

Munawwar Mughal:

Pakistan Computers Association president Munawar Mughal opposed the move and termed it “unjust and based on malevolence”. He said his association would resist the ban at every level. He said Pakistan was a third world country where 80 per cent consumers buy second-hand computers.

“Multinational companies are trying to get a ban imposed on import of second-hand computers to capture the market, but the government should realise that a large number of poor people cannot afford to buy a new computer costing between Rs25,000 and Rs45,000,” Mr Mughal said, adding that the price of a used desktop PC ranged between Rs5,000 and Rs10,000.

The ban would deprive poor students of their right to modern education and the country would lose millions of dollars in foreign exchange if the proposal was approved, Mr Mughal said.

We hope that the sufferers will try to take a strong , very very strong stand on this one and again not let benfit of the few lead to loss of the most.