Proposal to increase duty on telecom equipment PCBA to push up cost of services: COAI

NEW DELHI: The government’s proposal of increasing the basic customs duty from 10% to 15% on the printed circuit board assembly (PCBA) on specified telecom equipment will push up the cost of providing services as the telecom operators are continuously upgrading their networks, said an industry association Tuesday in response to the Union Budget 2024-25.

“COAI has previously requested exemptions on customs duties for certain telecom equipment to alleviate the cost challenges associated with deploying this critical infrastructure,” SP Kochhar, Director-General of the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) said.