Peshawar’s printers revel in election bonanza

Business owners work overtime to fulfil owners

PESHAWAR: With the general elections just a little over a month away, printers in the provincial capital have started receiving large orders to produce publicity materials from contesting candidates with campaigns expected to heat up soon after the Eidul Fitr celebrations.

Thousands of printers, publishers, advertisers and graphic designers who work in and around the Jhangirpura Mohalla in Peshawar have been swamped with orders of printing election-related materials from the small items such as stickers and buttons to large items such as party flags, posters, and even giant billboards emblazoned with the emblem of the party, their electoral symbols and photos of the candidates and political leadership.

While the commercial markets stay open till late at night to cater to the droves of shoppers, the printers have been burning the midnight oil to churn out campaign material.

The printing industry of the city had been badly affected by terrorism in the past. However, after peace was restored, they have registered an upward boom.

The elections have also come at an opportune time for them with many printers, who had closed up shop, restarting their business.

A local printer, 39-year-old Muhammad Tufail, told APP that printing business has registered an upward trend in Peshawar after the July 25 elections were announced, adding that it has revitalised the overall printing business.

Hailing from Landi Arbab, Peshawar, Tufail said that election activities had brought significant investment to the printing industry and its associated businesses and that businessmen dealing with the printing industry have taken a collective sigh of relief at a time when inflation is rising.

Tufail, who set up his printing unit in Mohallah Jhangi after completing his education, said that some of the printers had received printing orders from Rs500,000 up to Rs2 million for preparing posters, stickers and billboards of the contesting candidates.

"These days, the printers are receiving printing orders mostly from the polling agents, who usually play a key role in attracting investment for their blue-eyed,“ he said, adding about around 5,000 printers, publishers and graphic designers are associated with the business in Peshawar.

"Most of the orders we received from candidates are for publishing posters and stickers," the printer explained, adding that candidates were taking keen interests in posters and other publicity paraphernalia for their campaigns.

"I would definitely encourage new talents if they wish to join printing industry as a profession," advised Tufail, whose shop employs around 20 workers.

"I have doubled the workforce keeping in view of high demands for election materials of the contesting candidates," he said.

Repair woes

Even as election season offers printers a bumper job in an increasingly paperless, digital environment, those still operating printing machines say the hardest time they face is when their machines break down.

Businessmen say they have to travel to far-off Lahore to repair their machines since local expertise was non-existent.

"It is a very costly practice, and sometimes we have to pay up to Rs100,000 for its repair including transport cost," he remarked.

"The printing industry could flourish in Peshawar if we have the required expertise, no load shedding, quality manpower and a mechanism to control prices of paper and inflation as far as election materials are concerned," he maintained.

Shifting focus

With the internet proving itself to be a powerful outlet, printers say the candidates have split their focus on online campaigning and physically visible campaigns in the form of billboards and posters.

Despite that, the election activities have resulted in an upward growth in the printing business especially of those printers who deal with stickers, posters and billboards, said Ali Khan, a printer.

"Several printers have abandoned this business in the past due to the high cost of printing materials, high inflation and long hours of load shedding and underlined the need for a special financial package for revival of the printing business in the province," he said.

Another factor affecting the business has been inflation and the rising cost of paper and printing materials besides unscheduled load shedding.

The printers claimed that agents of a political candidate were receiving a high commission for brokering a business deal of up to Rs50,000 between a candidate and printing press owner. They said the entire responsibility of the quality of posters, billboards and stickers rest on the shoulders of the agents and any fault, if pinpointed, should be borne by agents.

The printers in Mohalla Jehangir said improvement of law and order situation and participation of all mainstream political parties in general elections made positive effects on printing industries.

"The printers who are without declaration are adversely affecting the business of those working on standard procedures set by the competent authorities," he complained.

The printers expressed optimism that their business would be increased further as elections date come nearer and demanded the government to include printing industry in its priority list by giving special financial package keeping in view of its rich contributions to the national exchequer.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 16^th, 2018.