Customs Committee responds to criticism of phone duties: “our rates are the lowest”

A dispute at the press conference

On November 11, at a joint press conference of the Customs Committee and UzIMEI dedicated to the clearance of mobile devices and IMEI code registration, a dispute broke out between journalists and representatives of the agency. Gazeta reported this. The journalist pointed out that additional payments on imports are ultimately passed on to consumers: entrepreneurs include these costs in the final price of goods. The interlocutor referred to the 2 trillion soums figure announced by the customs service and asked why, because of taxes, goods in Uzbekistan are more expensive than in other countries.

The customs service's arguments

Farhod Olimjonov, head of a department at the committee, replied that with such logic, customs payments would have to be abolished for all goods altogether — cars, furniture, phones. According to his data, the average global import duty rate on phones is 10–15%, and VAT is 18–20%, whereas Uzbekistan has lower rates. Here the outlets differ: Gazeta cites a VAT rate of 12%, while Spot.uz, quoting Olimjonov, says 15%. Olimjonov also said that over the first ten months of 2026, about 63.5 trillion soums in customs payments went to the budget, of which 2 trillion came from imports of mobile devices; these funds, in his words, are used to finance public needs — he cited the construction of schools and kindergartens as an example.

“Grey” imports and protecting importers

Olimjonov defended official importers who pay duties and taxes but, according to him, cannot sell goods due to competition from “grey” imports. He noted that in 2022, 60% of imported phones were brought in by individuals allegedly for their own needs, and earlier entrepreneurs had handed phones to passengers returning from Dubai or Turkey so they could pass them off as goods for personal use. When buying from an official importer, he emphasized, the buyer receives a certificate, a warranty, and the ability to return the device.

On the UzIMEI system and abolishing the duty

The committee representative explained the need for IMEI code registration by device identification, the fight against theft and fraud, and consumer protection: a stolen phone can be blocked by contacting the IMEI center, and linking bank cards to IMEI helps uncover fraudulent transactions. When asked about changing the rate, Olimjonov replied that the customs service merely collects established payments, while tariffs are set by authorized bodies, including the Ministry of Investment, Industry and Trade. He suggested that the journalists themselves submit an initiative to abolish the 5% duty while keeping the VAT. According to Olimjonov's own earlier estimate, cited by Gazeta, abolishing the duty would reduce budget revenues by 300–400 billion soums but would make phones about 5% cheaper. He also said that, as part of negotiations on Uzbekistan's accession to the WTO, a zero import duty rate on mobile phones has already been agreed.

Context of the criticism

The discussion continued a series of conflicts surrounding phone clearance. Earlier, economist and professor at New York University in Abu Dhabi Behzod Khoshimov criticized the current IMEI registration system and restrictions on importing goods for personal needs: in his view, high prices in Uzbekistan compared with foreign markets indicate problems in trade policy, and mandatory registration creates additional costs for citizens — both monetary and in lost time. Gazeta also noted that over seven years, citizens paid more than 3 trillion soums for IMEI code registration, and questions about the system's financial model and the legal nature of the mandatory payment remain open. In addition, Spot.uz previously reported that UzIMEI had not considered the possibility of reducing the phone registration fee.