High import duty on paper decried.

High import duty — twenty per cent — on paper is forcing the book publishers to get their work done in the neighbouring Asian countries such as Malaysia, Singapore, China etc and hence they are bringing the published book in India, which is costing them about 40% less as compared to India. So the printing industry is demanding from government to make the import of paper free so that Indian printing industry can flourish, said P Chander, president, All-India Federation of Masters Printers, on his visit to the city. Chander had come to inaugurate the newly constructed committee hall of Off-set Printers Association, Ludhiana, and also to distribute print awards to the printers of North India.

Chander is the president of 58 affiliated associations of master printers all across the country. He said, “This exodus of the printing industry is going on for the past 2-3 years, while the machinery in India is far better as compared to Asian countries. Apart from this, the government is even planning to impose safeguard duty on paper, which we are opposing tooth and nail.”