Book publishers body say tariff cuts come too late
Book publishers body say tariff cuts come too late
JAKARTA (JP): Book publishers welcomed the slash in import
tariffs on paper but said that the government's gesture came too
late to have any impact on the prices of textbooks now being
prepared for the new school year.
The Indonesian Association of Book Publishers (Ikapi) also
said that the tariff cuts would not solve the problem of printing
paper and newsprint shortages.
The government on Tuesday announced sweeping economic
deregulation measures, slashing the tariff imports on more than
6,000 commodities.
The tariff for newsprint, widely used for school textbooks
because it is cheaper than printing paper, was reduced to five
percent from 20 percent. The 20 percent import tariff on HVS
printing paper was reduced to zero percent.
"We welcome these measures as they serve to control the
market," Ikapi chairman Rozali Usman said on Tuesday evening.
Book publishers, however, have already printed their school
textbooks for the upcoming school year without the benefit of the
tariff cuts. "It takes time to negotiate with suppliers
overseas," Rozali said during the celebration of IKAPI's 45th
anniversary, "and imported paper takes two months to deliver."
It will take some time before the tariff reductions are felt
in the market, he added.
Rozali said that the most immediate problem facing book
publishers is the supply of low cost paper.
"Even now we have difficulty in buying paper. Besides being
expensive, it seems to have disappeared from the market," added
Ikapi co-chairman Fachry Said.
As part of its efforts to keep book prices low, most Ikapi
members have been using the cheaper newsprint rather than
printing paper.
But with a dire shortage facing the domestic supply of
newsprint, which is controlled by two producers, book publishers
have to compete with newspapers for their supply.
Book publishers are again considering the use of printing
paper now that the tariff has been waived completely. However,
the Ikapi executive said, they will still need to be subsidized
in order to make the books affordable to school children. Talks
are still underway about securing the subsidy.
Fachry noted that in conjunction with the new curriculum
issued in 1994, many new school textbooks still need to be
produced for the new school year beginning in July.
"The government says we should not worry because it will help
with supplies," said Fachry. "But the government only supplies
books for four out of eight core subjects."
"You cannot expect education to improve with only one book to
a subject," Rozali added. (anr)