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Lojine Kamel

Telecom Requires All Phones Bought Outside Lebanon to Be Registered

As reported by The Daily Star, Lebanese telecoms are now going to lock all phones smuggled into Lebanon as of this June.

According to the report, 70% of phones in Lebanon have been illegally smuggled into the country, with Telecoms Minister Sehnaoui saying that this new change would bring about a $60 million a year revenue boost.

Yet the law doesn’t only apply to Lebanese citizens, with The Daily Star clarifying that: “Tourists and visitors wishing to use devices purchased outside of Lebanon would need to register their handsets at the airport and would be allowed to use them for limited period of time.”

So what does this mean to you? It means that you’ve got until June to buy a phone from outside of Lebanon without having to register it. It also means that after that date, if you don’t register your phone at the Customs department you’ll be unable to use local phone networks such as Touch or Alfa.

Because apparently there are no other ways to generate revenue in Lebanon.