MULTAN, Nov 15th:The Printers, publishers and traders have announced to provide books of english medium schools on reasonable price if the Government ensures supply of paper at lower rates and eliminate thecommission mafia.A spokesman of printers Saeedullah Khan said," there is no justification for increasing the prices of O" and "A " level and other english medium books by 200 percent," He said that the prices of books being used in English medium private schools have jumped up to 200 per cent within a period of one year. The prices have registered an unprecedented increase and beyond the inflation rate of other commodities during the same period. The prices of O and A level books catering Oxford and Cambridge syllabus have increased up to 60 per cent during the first quarter of the new academic year which started in September, while the prices for playgroup to middle level classes saw an upward trend of 200 per cent. And the notebooks are no exception with prices skyrocketing by 100 per cent in comparison with corresponding period last year putting an unprecedented burden on the already inflation-hit parents. The Oxford and Cambridge books are mostly imported, hence, strong dollar do have a decisive impact. But the prices of locally published books for playgroup to middle classes have also ballooned thanks to loadshedding and costlier paper. A year back, a dollar was equivalent 60 Pak rupees but now it has climbed up to 83.
“As dollar goes up, the books’ prices follow the trend,” told a book depot owner at the Urdu Bazaar of Gulgasht . The major reason for this increase is regular power breakdown, which has hit the industrial sector badly. As a result, printers and publishers are facing an imminent collapse. They are forced to rely on generators with high running cost making their produce costly. It has also imbalanced the market mechanism by allowing unscrupulous persons to take undue advantages. The books and paper merchants are expressing the fear that the prices might further go up in case the issues are not addressed in time.Another perturbing fact is that the principals of the private schools and colleges are getting 22 per cent commission per each book from the booksellers, which is adjusted in the prices to be paid by the children and their parents.
Similarly, most of the schools supply their own stationery and they either charge commission or supply these items to students at 100 per cent exorbitant prices. Some of the renowned school systems have their own bookshops at their premises where all the items are priced double in comparison with local market. The traders have suggested that the government should take appropriate measures to facilitate the industry by lowering the paper price and eliminating the commission mafia.