The Government has decided to abolish or reduce the paper tax to make books and other educational items easily accessible to the people. The Sindh Education Minister Sardar Ali Shah has also announced to reduce tax on imported paper, making the international books easily available in Pakistan. However, at present, the cost of local paper is high, making the local books expensive. Currently, the Sales tax on imported books is also 17% due to the nose-diving value of the Pakistani rupee which discourages the book reading culture in the country. Given the importance of education, the Central Authority has decided to give tax relief to the education sector by diminishing tax on paper.
Education is a significant investment in a country due to its benefits. It guarantees lifetime income and promotes peace in the country. Many children drop out of school due to expensive educational items, higher fee demands, and other expenses. Books are the need of every educational institution but due to heavy tax on paper, these high-quality books become out of reach for middle-class students. However, the present Government is resolving this issue by abolishing the tax on imported papers which will make high-quality books easily available to every citizen and focusing on local production of high-quality papers. Furthermore, for the promotion of education and reading, the government has also announced plans to organise international book fairs in several cities to revive the reading culture in the country.
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