KARACHI: The All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS) has thanked Finance Minister Asad Umar for exempting newspaper industry from import duty on newsprint.

The president of APNS, Hameed Haroon, and its secretary general Sarmad Ali said on Wednesday the government’s decision would provide relief to an industry that was facing problems owing to an unprecedented increase in the price of newsprint in the international market coupled with depreciation of the rupee.

They pointed out that APNS had raised the issue with Prime Minister Imran Khan at a meeting in October 2018, wherein he had announced that the industry would be exempted from import duty on newsprint. But unfortunately the notification was delayed.

A press release quoted the two APNS office-bearers as thanking the finance minister and expressing the hope that the government would provide a bailout package to the crisis-hit print media by clearing their outstanding dues and increasing the number of advertisements to be given to the industry, particularly the smaller and regional newspapers.

Published in Dawn, January 24th, 2019