Import Of Used Computers Is Banned In Pakistan

Used Computers

Wall defacements and banners festooned above sidewalks are common constituents of the urban landscape in Pakistan. Last month, the reported instructions by President Asif Ali Zardari, asking the Ministry of Information Technology (MolT) to draft a proposal for a ban on the import of used computers and its accessories, instigated new roadside adornments, denouncing the ban.

Purporting lack of awareness among masses, multinational chip manufacturers and computer vendors are all for the ban, claiming that Pakistan has become a dumping ground for energy-inefficient, and first-world cast-offs. Despite the decline in the price of new computers, the country consumes over 500,000 second-hand PCs every year. Those against the ban argue that it is an unfair attempt by multinational hardware vendors to dominate the market, DV eliminating other more affordable options available to the consumers.

The ban would also affected by thousands of traders associated with the import and sales of used computers.

The former Federal IT Minister, Atta-ur-Redman, is accredited for permitting the import of used computers to provide IT education to the poor - at a lower cost. Over the years, the availability of cheaper and (marginally) used computers gained acceptance for increasing computer penetration and IT literacy in the country. One outcome of these imports is the existence of environmentally hazardous, recycling practices of e-waste. Although this menace to health and environment cannot be exonerated; the ban on second-hand computers is a double-edged sword that needs careful consideration.

In these times of high inflation, it is imperative to consider the disposable income of the common man. Restricting the access of affordable and cheaper alternatives to those who cannot afford new computers and face heightened economic barriers to benefit from IT, will only end up costing us more as a nation. Wouldn't it be more beneficial for us to focus efforts on drafting recycling policies and defining usability standards for the electronic equipment being imported, rather than proposing an all-out ban?