MTEC to Supply 10,000 Mobile Phones to Zimbabwe

MMOBILE Telecommunications Zambia Limited (MTEC) has clinched a deal with a Zimbabwean firm to supply 10,000 mobile phones.

Commenting on the on-going trade fair in Bulawayo, Melcome group chairman, Mohammed Seedat, said in an interview in Lusaka yesterday that the company has received overwhelming inquiries from the region. The demand is growing and we have received inquires from neighbouring Zimbabwe where they have asked for about 10,000 handsets

Some of the countries that have shown interest in purchasing mobile phones include Tanzania, Malawi, Kenya, Burundi and Rwanda.

He said the company has the capacity to satisfy both the local and regional market. Mmobile is part of the Melcome Group, which has invested US$3 million to set up the first-ever mobile phone assembly plant in Lusaka and has todate produced 10,000 handsets.

The new handsets were offloaded on the market on March 7, 2009.

Government has meanwhile increased customs duty on cellular phone handsets from 5 to 15 per cent to encourage local production of handsets.

The company has employed about 200 workers who have undergone technical training.