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Indonesia bans iPhone 16 sales after Apple defaults on investment

Just a month after Apples iPhone 16 series was released, the smartphone line has officially been discontinued in Indonesia. The government has now banned the sale and use of Apples latest generation smartphones and other recently released products, including the Apple Watch Series 10.If there is an iPhone 16 that can work in Indonesia, we can say that the device is illegal. Please let us know, said Industry Minister Guiyang Kartasasmita. Our ministry cannot give approval for the iPhone 16 yet because Apple still has obligations to fulfill,â Kartasasmita added. The country currently has the largest economy in Southeast Asia with a GDP of $1 trillion. This raises the question: Why exactly were the iPhone 16 series banned , and what exactly are we talking about here? First, it seems that the tech company RP 1.71 trillion (approximately $109 million) investment commitment aimed at improving local sourcing and infrastructure in the country is incomplete. According to reports, Cupertino-based Apple has only invested about RP 1.48 trillion (approximately $95 million) so far, which means a deficit of about RP 230 billion (approximately $14.75 million). This investment gap has left the Indonesian Ministry of Industry unable to issue the International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) certificates needed to legally allow the iPhone 16 and related products to be sold domestically. However, this decree seems a little late. So far, around 9,000 iPhone 16s have reportedly entered the country via travelers or postal services. However, the iPhone 16 devices are currently restricted to personal use and cannot be resold, so if you are an overseas visitor planning to buy the new iPhone model, your plans are in jeopardy. Of course, this is despite Indonesia introducing strict regulations from 2020 that require all phones purchased overseas to be registered with the government and subject to hefty taxes

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