Printers demand duty hike in textbook import

Bangladesh Mudran Shilpa Samity (BMSS) has demanded that the government impose 25 per cent duty on import of textbooks for primary and secondary levels instead of existing 12 per cent to safeguard local printing industry.

BMSS, a platform of the printing industry representing around 7,000 printers of the country, said as local printing industry can fully fulfil the domestic demand for textbooks, the government need not to import them.

"If the government continues importing textbooks by floating international tenders, import duty should be 25 per cent from the next fiscal year (FY 2016). Import duty will have to be included in the price mentioned by the international bidders and it will be considered as their final price," Julker Shaheen, secretary of the samity, told a pre-budget meeting at its office in the city last week.

"This will ensure a level playing field and we expect our demand will be fulfilled in the next budget," he said.

But the samity demanded 25 per cent duty on import of children's picture, drawing or colouring books (the Harmonised System Codes or HS Code: 4903.00.00) in which the country is now self-sufficient.

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