<p class="title">The budget proposal to impose 10% customs duty on newsprint has been raised in Rajya Sabha by CPI MP Binoy Vishwam, who demanded its immediate withdrawal saying it poses a "big threat" to the newspaper industry.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Raising the issue as a special mention in the Upper House on Thursday, Vishwam said this could even lead to the shutdown of several newspapers in the country.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"Earlier, there was no import duty on newsprint. Last year, newspapers faced a shock when the cost of newsprint went up to 40% to 60% when China stopped newsprint production as part of its efforts to contain excess pollution. Now, this imposition of 10% customs duty will affect their very existence," he said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"Imposing any levy on such an industry, which is on stress cannot be appreciated. This move will kill many of the small scale newspapers. As a person, who worked as the editor of <em>Janayugam</em> daily, run by the Communist Party of India, in Malayalam, I know the day-to-day difficulties of a small scale newspaper unit," he said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">He said that the survival of the newspaper industry is a must for democracy to exist in our country and the government should approach the matter as an issue of people's right to information.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"People need newspapers to continue as the mirror of their aspirations. It should not be broken. I request the government to withdraw the proposal for imposing 10% duty on newsprint," he added.</p>
<p class="title">The budget proposal to impose 10% customs duty on newsprint has been raised in Rajya Sabha by CPI MP Binoy Vishwam, who demanded its immediate withdrawal saying it poses a "big threat" to the newspaper industry.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Raising the issue as a special mention in the Upper House on Thursday, Vishwam said this could even lead to the shutdown of several newspapers in the country.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"Earlier, there was no import duty on newsprint. Last year, newspapers faced a shock when the cost of newsprint went up to 40% to 60% when China stopped newsprint production as part of its efforts to contain excess pollution. Now, this imposition of 10% customs duty will affect their very existence," he said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"Imposing any levy on such an industry, which is on stress cannot be appreciated. This move will kill many of the small scale newspapers. As a person, who worked as the editor of <em>Janayugam</em> daily, run by the Communist Party of India, in Malayalam, I know the day-to-day difficulties of a small scale newspaper unit," he said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">He said that the survival of the newspaper industry is a must for democracy to exist in our country and the government should approach the matter as an issue of people's right to information.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"People need newspapers to continue as the mirror of their aspirations. It should not be broken. I request the government to withdraw the proposal for imposing 10% duty on newsprint," he added.</p>
