NEW DELHI: The Executive Committee of the Indian Newspaper Society (INS) convened an emergency meeting on Friday asking the Indian government to use newspaper papers (newsprints) for uncoated papers and magazines used in newspaper printing. It appealed for the withdrawal of 10 per cent customs duty levied on light coat papers.

The total consumption of standard newsprint in India is 2.5 lakh tonnes and the capacity of indigenous mills is only 10 lakh tonnes. It is believed that the Indian newspaper producers have misinformed the Government that they are in a position to meet all the requirements. Last year, there was a severe shortage of newsprints around the world, but the Indian industry was able to export only 12,726 tonnes of newsprints, which showed that India did not have the ideal capacity and the capacity shown by the small producers to the Government was wrong.

The committee said at the meeting that the publishers of newspapers and magazines are already facing financial pressure due to factors such as low advertising revenues, high prices and digital attacks on behalf of giants. It said that small and medium newspapers would go into further losses due to the introduction of this customs duty and many may be forced to close the newspapers. The Committee said, therefore, the INS appeals to the government to intervene to save the Indian newspaper industry by removing this unbearable burden.

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