Ukraine will introduce registration of smartphones by IMEI: what will change for importers, businesses and buyers

Ukraine plans to introduce mandatory identification of mobile phones by a unique IMEI code already at the customs clearance stage. The new mechanism should complicate the illegal import of equipment, ensure market transparency and increase revenues to the state budget.

This was reported by the Director of the Bureau of Economic Security of Ukraine, Oleksandr Tsyvinsky.

According to him, the relevant order of the Ministry of Finance has already been signed and registered with the Ministry of Justice. The Bureau of Economic Security initiated the introduction of mandatory indication of IMEI codes in customs declarations.

What will change

After the new rules come into force, all mobile phones that will be officially imported into Ukraine will be declared with an indication of a unique IMEI code.

IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) is an international unique identifier of a mobile device that allows you to identify a specific smartphone or phone.

According to Oleksandr Tsyvinsky, the new mechanism does not provide for the introduction of additional taxes or fees.

“This is not a new tax. This is the creation of transparent accounting for the market, where each device will have its own identifier even at the stage of import into Ukraine,” the director of the BEB noted.

Why is this needed

The BEB explains that currently the IMEI code is not indicated during customs clearance, which creates opportunities for the use of schemes for the illegal import of mobile equipment.

After the introduction of the new requirements, state authorities will be able to compare a specific smartphone with data on its official import. This will allow tracing the origin of the device, verifying the legality of its import and payment of all customs duties stipulated by law.

According to estimates by the Bureau of Economic Security, the implementation of such a mechanism can provide the state budget with more than 5 billion hryvnias of additional revenue each year.

Business included in the discussion

Before approving the new rules, the BEB, together with the Ministry of Finance and the State Customs Service, held consultations with representatives of the largest legal electronics sales networks.

Despite different views on certain technical aspects of implementing the mechanism, market participants supported the need to combat illegal imports and eliminate the competitive advantages of sellers of smuggled equipment.

The next stage is IMEI in the fiscal receipt

The Bureau of Economic Security is already working on the next stage of digital control.

This involves the possibility of mandatory indication of the IMEI code of a sold mobile phone in a fiscal receipt.

According to Oleksandr Tsyvinsky, the BEB is developing a corresponding mechanism together with the Ministry of Finance and the State Tax Service.

If it is implemented, the state will be able to trace the path of each smartphone from the moment of its official import through customs to sale to the end buyer.

It is expected that the combination of customs, tax, and analytical control will help reduce the volume of “gray” imports of electronics, increase market transparency, and ensure a level playing field between legal importers and sellers.