LAHORE: The Lahore Chamber of Commerce & Industry has urged the government to address reservations of textbook publishers and printers regarding Single National Curriculum policy.
The demand was raised by the Lahore Chamber of Commerce & Industry President Mian Tariq Misbah while talking to the delegation of publishers and printers, led by Convener LCCI Standing Committee on Publishers & Notebooks Javed Iqbal at the Lahore Chamber of Commerce & Industry. LCCI Vice President Tahir Manzoor Chaudhry also spoke on the occasion.
The delegation members informed the LCCI office-bearers that around 200 printers and publishers are attached with text books printing and pinching conditions have made for them impossible to play their role for the promotion of education.
They said that now they would have to submit Rs.5 lakh per book to the Punjab Text Board for approval and this amount would not be refundable. This fee was Rs.2000 before that has been increased to Rs.5 lakh. They said that printers & publishers would be bound to give 7.5% books to the Punjab Text Book Board.
The delegation members said that this move would lead to unemployment of around 2 million individuals. They added many writers would also face problems in the coming days. “It is ‘economic murder’ of publishers, printers, writers, book binders, sellers etc.”
“If the government doesn’t take the decision back”, the delegation members said and further added that the government’s decision is entirely one-sided and publishers, who are utmost important stakeholder, have not been taken into confidence.
LCCI President Mian Tariq Misbah said that printers and publishers are playing most important role in promoting education sector therefore, government should address their reservations immediately. He said that all measures should be taken after consultation with the stakeholders. He said that cost of education would be increased many times and it would go out of hands of the common man.
He assured the delegation members that the Lahore Chamber of Commerce & Industry will take up this issue at all forums and will also arrange their meeting with the concerned minister.