All Pakistan Newspapers Society pinpoints economic problems, demands concessions | Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF)

Pakistan Press Foundation

All Pakistan Newspapers Society pinpoints economic problems, demands concessions

KARACHI- Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman, President of the All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS), recounted the burgeoning economic problems being faced by the newspaper industry and proposed to Chief Executive General Pervez Musharraf a number of measures for their solution.

The entire country was under the spell of inflation but the newspaper industry was faced with dual hassles due to skyrocketing prices of almost all raw materials, Mir Shakil-ur-Rehman told the participants of 15th APNS Awards ceremony in which the chief executive handed over awards to journalist, advertising agencies and prominent advertisers for their excellent performance in the 1997-98.

“Such developments compel us to think that you will take interest in solving the chronic problems being faced by the publishing industry and we have complete faith in you that you will solve our problems,” Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman said.

The newspapers industry was faced with dual hassles due to skyrocketing prices of almost all raw materials especially the C&F prices of newsprint, he said. The situation wars a bit confused for publishing industry due to expenditures incurred on petrol, transportation, and deficit in the budget, transportation of newspapers and tremendous increase in utility bills, he said.

“The fear of the fall of the new wage board’s axe on our necks is another problem,” Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman said and added: “On the other hand, we come across with incessant downslide in the budget of government advertisements’ allocations.”

The recession and bearish trading activities would have a negative impact on the income accrued through private sector’s advertisement, he said, adding: “In this scenario, sir, we seek your consultancy. What will the newspaper sector do? How do we make our certain survival?”

For answer to these questions, he said, the APNS proposes the following:
1. Abolition of duties and taxes levied on the import of newsprint.

2. Duty-free import facility, at least for a period of five years, of printing machinery, computers, cameras, scanners, films, plates and other printing materials to all newspaper organisations.

3. Supply of electricity under industrial consumers’ category to the local offices of the newspapers and periodicals and their printing presses.

4. Fifty per cent discount on telephone bills installed at offices and bureau offices of all newspapers.

5. Generous traveling facilities, as done in the past, to the editors of newspapers and senior mediamen.

6. In the past due respect was given to a number of newspapers and periodicals in the media list, and budget of government advertisement. And in line with the issuance of new declaration, due consideration was given for enhancement in budget. What’s required at this juncture is to: i) declare mandatory increase in publicity budget of all the government organisations in accordance with the annual inflation: and additional requirements; ii) put government commercial rates at a par with market rates; iii) evolve a justified system for the division of government advertisements and ensure the implementation of 25 per cent quota allocated for regional newspapers. The establishment of district governments might put a weight on regional newspapers and periodicals. Therefore, the government should encourage these publishing units as cottage industry and confer them on the status of county papers.

7.In view of the difficulties being faced through allotment of names at provincial level, names of newspapers and periodicals should be approved at the national level.

8.Freedom of Information: newspaper registration and Press Council laws should be enacted in uniformity.

9. Problems of Advertising Association directly affect media, therefore it is requested that these problems should be addressed properly.

It is therefore suggested that the General Sales Tax imposed on advertising companies should be withdrawn, multiple audits should be discontinued and presumptive tax replaced by normal tax. In different departments ban imposed by former governments are being abolished, but newspaper industry is still entangled in the wage board awards through which limitations have been imposed on the newspapers owners. The owners could not award better pay structures to the most creative workers they have been associated with the non-journalist staff.

This is an era of free market economy, the newspaper industry should also enter the free marks economy, this can happen only when they are allowed to fix salaries as per merit,’ he said.
Source: The News
Date:10/3/2000