APNS urges Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to withdraw GST on newspaper advertisements

All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS) urged upon government of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa to withdraw proposed General Sales Tax on advertisements on newspapers and magazines to help newspapers of the province in facing acute financial crunch.
Sarmad Ali, Secretary General, APNS said newspapers in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa will have to bear heavy burden of taxation in present day recessionary economic conditions. During current year, newsprint prices in international market sky-rocketed, raising costs up to more than 50 percent.
Furthermore, consistent devaluation of rupee and debilitating increases in costs of other inputs such as printing inks, printing plates, photograph films, printing plants, pre-press equipment, and spare parts consequently resulted in a severe cash-flow crisis for the publishing firms of KP province.
He said in KP, publications mostly depend on government advertisements as there is hardly any private business generated in the province thus levy of 16% GST would badly affect their economies as it would practically reduce quantum of government advertisements by 16%. The newspapers have already been facing financial crunch due to non-payment of their bills by the provincial administration for long.
APNS pointed out the newspapers in province have to work in a conflict region where a war-like situation persists perpetually for the last four years. In these circumstances, thhey have to face hardships to accomplish their professional duties to disseminate news and information among their readers. APNS is of considered opinion that newspapers in KP require maximum support of government. It, therefore, requests Ameer Haider Khan Hoti, Chief Minister to exempt levy of GST on newspaper advertisements.