950812

NECP demands

waiver of levies

on newsprint

KARACHI: The President of the Newspaper Editors Council of Pakistan Syed Fasieh Iqbal in a statement issued here on Saturday has invited the attention of Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto and the federal government to the crisis being faced by the newspaper industry due to the unprecedented rise in the price of newsprint. He said that the Pakistan Newspaper and Periodicals Organization has been making a constant effort for the waiver of duties and other levies on newsprint imports by the newspapers in view of this grave situation.

He said that the APNS had also supported the initiative of the PNPO in this regard and there was a general acceptance of the points raised by the PNPO seeking the withdrawal of duties and levies on newsprint.

The Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto had also been convinced of the rightful stand of the PNPO on this issue. Therefore, it was important that the government decision for the waiver of duties and other levies on newsprint be announced without further delay.

Syed Fasieh Iqbal said that the PNPO President Arif Nizami and the office-bearers of the PNPO had made out a very convincing case of the waiver of duties and levies on newsprint to ameliorate the crisis situation faced by the newspaper industry.

He said that it would be in the fitness of things that the Government of Pakistan should announce the acceptance of the demand for waiver and withdrawal of duties and levies on newsprint and it would be even more in the fitness of things to give this waiver retrospective effect from the beginning of this year, specially when the government is committed to freedom of the press and maximum facilities for its healthy growth.

Syed Fasieh Iqbal also announced that the Standing Committee of the NECP has been convened by him as President of the NECP on Sunday, August 20 at 11.00 a.m. at the Hotel Marriott, Islamabad to consider important issues relating to the press and government-press relations.-PPI