APNS praises exemption of duty on newsprint

KARACHI: The APNS expressed its gratitude to the Finance Minister Asad Umar for exempting the print media from the levy of import duty on the newsprint.

Hameed Haroon, President, and Sarmad Ali, Secretary General, of the All Pakistan Newspapers Society said the exemption of import duty will provide relief to the newspaper industry which is facing acute financial crunch due to unprecedented increase in the prices of newsprint in the international market coupled with the depreciation of the Pakistani rupee. They pointed out that earlier the APNS had raised the issue with Prime Minister Imran Khan at a meeting in October 2018 wherein he had very kindly announced to exempt the import duty on the newsprint but unfortunately the notification was delayed. The APNS is pleased to note that the federal government has now fulfilled the promise made by the prime minister, they said. The APNS while expressing its gratitude expressed the hope that the federal government would come forward and provide a bailout package for the crisis-ridden print media by clearing the long outstanding dues and increase the quantum of advertisements especially for the smaller and regional newspapers.