New Delhi, Mar 4 (FN Representative) The Indian Newspaper Society has appealed to the government to reconsider the imposition of 5 per cent customs duty on newsprint saying this will be important for the survival of the print media industry in India. “Many newsprint mills, across the world as well as in India, have either suspended their operations or ceased Newsprint production entirely, causing concerns about the continuity of supply of Newsprint across the country,” the Indian Newspaper Society (INS) said in a press statement here. This duty, if withdrawn, would provide much-needed relief to the print media industry, allowing publishers to manage their operational costs more effectively and ensure continued dissemination of credible news and information to the public.
According to the INS, the prevailing situation of price and availability of newsprint is due to the combination of various factors such as global geopolitical uncertainties, logistical intricacies, depreciation of rupee and the prevailing customs duty on Newsprint. This has created a formidable burden on the publishers in the country. The depreciation of rupee has added pressure on import-dependent industries like print media sector and thus petitioned the Government to do away with the imposition of 5 per cent customs duty on Newsprint.