Newspaper owners Satur-day requested Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed to waive the existing 15 percent VAT on newsprint in the wake of abnormal price rises of the printing paper on the international market, reports UNB.

They also requested a fourfold increase in the rate of government advertisement as they said the existing rate has not been increased for last 20 years.

The present rate of government advertisement per column-inch is Tk 208. An eight-member delegation of the Newspaper Owners Association of Bangladesh (NOAB) and Bangladesh Sangbadpatra Parishad (BSP) called on the Chief Adviser at his office and placed their demands. They also sought payment of ad money centrally.

The newspaper owners'' leaders thanked the Chief Adviser as his government has reduced import duty on newsprint from 25 percent to zero in the fiscal 2007-08 following their meeting with the Chief Adviser last year.

About waving VAT, Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin said he would talk to Finance Ministry to consider the matter "as a whole as the government wants news industry to flourish in Bangladesh".

Regarding raise in the rate of government advertisement, he agreed with their demand, saying that he will ask the Information Ministry to make a report on it in consultation with the Finance Ministry and he will take action after getting the report. On payment of the ad money, he assured them that he would ask the Information Ministry to make the payment system uniform.

President of NOAB Mahbubul Alam, vice-president of BSP Golam Sarwar, NOAB vice-president Matiur Rahman, its treasurer Matiur Rahman Chowdhury and NOAB members AMM Bahauddin, Reazuddin Ahmed, ASM Shahidullah Khan and Altamas Kabir were on the delegation. Chief Adviser''s Press Secretary Syed Fahim Munaim was also present.

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