Temporary government restricts phone imports for returnees to 2 per year, plans to monitor via CEIR system

The interim government of Myanmar announced on July 14 that it will allow travelers returning from abroad to bring in only two mobile phones per year. All phones brought in must be registered within 30 days of arrival through the Central Mobile Device Authentication Registration System (CEIR). According to the announcement, each traveler will be allowed to apply for registration for a total of two phones within one year from the date they first fill out and declare on the Passenger Declaration Form (PD Form). The announcement states that the IMEI number of the phone must be declared without fail upon arrival at Yangon, Naypyidaw, and Mandalay international airports. It also mentions that if the required taxes are not paid within 30 days of arriving in the country, an additional fine will be imposed. "This is a very strict measure. Those who have had connections abroad have always brought many phones when they return. Also, when new iPhones are released, they are bought abroad and resold here. Traders sell them so they arrive here the same day they are released there. Now, with only two phones allowed per year, that business opportunity has diminished," a phone trader told the Irrawaddy Times. Although the interim government has cited the prevention of illegal phone smuggling into the country as the reason for this action, it requires the phone's IMEI number, along with the user's passport, national registration card (NRC), boarding pass, and SIM card, to be registered together within the CEIR system controlled by them. Those familiar with IT technology and cybersecurity say that by linking these, the interim government will gain the ability to track and monitor the real-time location of phones belonging to those entering from abroad. "When new technologies and electronic devices emerge, people often enter via air to use them quickly. While taxing them might be appropriate, restricting the number of units like this is incomprehensible," the phone trader continued. According to individuals knowledgeable about cybersecurity, since the currently used mobile phones are within the CEIR system controlled by the interim government, this restriction places users in a situation where their personal backgrounds will be monitored in detail. The interim government had previously announced that in 2023, it seized over 250 iPhone 15 Pro Max units, more than 100,000 US dollars, and 16 gold bars at Yangon Airport as part of illegal trade. It is known that they officially implemented the CEIR system starting April 1st of this year and are forcibly collecting taxes and fines on mobile phones and communication devices that have not yet been registered in this system.