Back on their feet: Printers decry awarding contracts to Punjab

Association demands job protection, special concessions for K-P

PESHAWAR: The government has been urged to safeguard the livelihood of printers across Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa after contracts to print textbooks were awarded to firms in Punjab.

Speaking at a news conference at Peshawar Press Club on Thursday, Frontier Printers and Publishers Association (FPPA) President Iqtidar Ali Akhunzada said 80 printing units have been closed down under the new tender policy.



“Hundreds of employees have lost their jobs while the prices of textbooks have increased by 30% across the province,” he added.

According to Akhunzada, the policy was introduced by the K-P education department and only favoured printers from Punjab. “Local contractors lack appropriate machinery and material,” he said. “We could not compete with printers from Punjab.”

The FPPA president said Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chief Imran Khan and Chief Minister Pervez Khattak should address the grievances of local printers. “They must introduce a special concession for printers and publishers in K-P to enable them to print textbooks,” he added.

Akhunzada threatened to protest if the government fails to provide incentives and concessions to local printers and publishers.

Earlier, in September, the FPPA had pressed the provincial government to issue all printing contracts to publish textbooks for government and private institutes to local publishers.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 27^th,  2015.