KARACHI, March 26: Prices of locally produced paper and paper board have gone up by Rs1,000-3,000 per ton as a result of shortage of commodity in the wake of rising shipments of books and notebooks (made from locally produced paper) to Afghanistan.

Similar situation of upward price revision in paper also existed in Punjab where majority of local paper mills exist.

Former chairman, All Pakistan Paper Merchants Association (APPMA), Abdul Majeed Memon, said that local printers had grabbed orders from various non-governmental organizations (NGOs) operating in Afghanistan for the supply of writing and printing papers and duplex board. He said these printers were using locally produced paper and paper boards for production of printed books and notebooks.

He said various schools and educational institutions had again re-started their operation in Afghanistan and Unicef had assigned some NGOs to procure printed books and notebooks from Pakistan. As a result of this, demand for locally produced paper has gone up, resulting in short supply in the domestic markets.

However, these NGOs are also lifting imported flying and duplex board from various parties, but majority of supplies are being managed from the locally produced mills.

Chairman, Pakistan Pulp Paper and Board Mills Association, Kamran Khan, told Dawn from Lahore that around 5,000 tons of books and notebooks had been supplied to Afghanistan, sufficient for the next three to four months, by some Pakistani printers. These items are made from locally produced papers, which is cheap in price as compared to imported items, besides well ahead of quality.

“If the same trend of supply persists in future, Pakistan may send 10,000 to 15,000 tons of books and notebooks by the end of 2002 to Afghanistan,” he said. It could not be known how many schools and educational institutions have re-started, imparting education to young boys and girls, and what is the current actual demand of printed books and notebooks.

He said that paper mills were yet to receive any direct orders from Afghanistan. Some three to four mills are currently getting orders from the local printers, who have procured orders from the NGOs.

Annual production of paper and paper board in Pakistan stands at 400,000 tons. The industry was faced with a slump last year due to levy of heavy taxation, but Kamran hoped that during the current year, the industry would be able to recover from the bitter past provided more demand comes from Afghanistan. He urged the government to remove five per cent excise duty so that export of paper items could be increased.

APPMA vice chairman Abid Nisar told Dawn that it was unjustified to increase prices by the mills to meet the rising demand of printed books in Afghanistan.

APPMA chairman Samiullah Butt had already urged the government two weeks back to keep the vigilant eye on price fluctuation on such items through price control committees.

Paper is quite essential item as Quran Sharif, religious books, text books and other important books are being published and shipped to Afghanistan.

APPMA urged the government to cut the import duties and excise duty on import of paper and paper board. Pakistan imported 121,860 tons ($88 million) of paper and paper board in July- February 2001-2002 as compared to 99,324 tons ($75 million) in the same period of 2000-2001.