Newsprint crisis<\/p>\n
The Indonesian press industry has over the past weeks
\ncomplained about the shortage of newsprint. Newspaper publishers
\nand book printers, in facing the crisis of newsprint supplies,
\nasked the government to intervene. The paper crisis is as a
\nmatter of fact due to the prevailing monopoly practice in the
\npaper market.<\/p>\n
The newsprint producers are accused of taking advantage of the
\nmonopoly privilege to generate the greatest profits possible.
\nReports in the media disclosed that in the last few months the
\nprice of newsprint in the international market has increased
\nsignificantly. This price increase then prompted the newsprint
\nproducers to export their products, while the domestic price
\nremained the same, i.e. Rp 1,700 per kilogram.<\/p>\n
According to Minister of Industry Tunky Ariwibowo, the
\nexisting newsprint industry could supply 300,000 tons of
\nnewsprint annually at the official price of Rp 1,700 per kilo.
\nBut Handjojo, acting chairman of the Association of Newspaper
\nPublishers, said that publishers had no idea where the paper had
\ngone. There must be a missing link in the mechanism of the
\nregulation. Therefore Minister Tunky Ariwibowo has requested
\nAspex, the supplier of 80 percent of domestic newsprint needs, to
\nreduce its export and increase the supply for the domestic market
\nby 2,000 to 14,000 tons this month. This is indeed a rare and
\nstrange situation.<\/p>\n
Formerly the government claimed that the production capacity
\nof newsprint exceeded the demand. But it seems that that is not
\nthe case. The monopoly that has been enjoyed by newsprint
\nindustries must be put to an end, leaving newsprint industries to
\ncompete in the open market.<\/p>\n
The fact that Mr Lee Won Je, president of PT Aspex Paper, is
\nsubsidizing domestic newspaper publishers by selling the products
\nat prices below production costs is hard to believe.<\/p>\n
We have so far been able to maintain and keep our national
\neconomic growth on the right track. But I wonder why the crises
\nwith cooking oil, cement and now newsprint occurred. A solution
\nto this problem must be sought if stability and a good national
\nreputation are to be achieved.<\/p>\n
ALOYSIUS HARYONO<\/p>\n
Jakarta<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/newsprint-crisis-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }