The government is considering to bring duties on paper and paperboards at par with the printed material and books during the next financial year to kick start the domestic printing industry that in turn can create jobs for urban youth.
An official source said that some parliamentarians had asked the government to revise the duty structure on the printing industry. The high duties on the import of paper and paperboard have nearly stifled the domestic printing industry.
Local printing industry claims that the protection given to local manufacturers of paper and paperboard in Pakistan was the highest in the world and this protection was creating unemployment, loss of foreign exchange and great hindrance in growth and export potential of the printing industry
Currently the finished products like printed material, books, exercise books, periodicals, Holy Quran are imported at a lower rate of Customs Duty between 2 to 5 per cent, whereas the major input of the industry i.e. paper and paperboards of all kinds attracts higher rate of Customs Duty of 10 to 20 per cent.
This anomalous situation encourages imports of printed material and is depriving domestic printing industry from carrying out the similar printing work in the country at much cheaper rates, the source said.
The tariff structure has resulted in unnecessary increase in prices of essential consumer items medicines, books, stationery and food items. Many printing units have shifted their business to the Middle East countries or China and Malaysia.