No new taxes and duties would be imposed on newspaper industry in next budget: PM Shehbaz

LAHORE, June 05 (SABAH): Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has announced that government will clear its outstanding advertising dues of newspapers on priority basis to alleviate serious cash crunch being faced by the industry.

He was talking to a delegation of the All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS) led by its President Sarmad Ali and Secretary General Naz Afreen Saigol Lakhani in Lahore on Sunday.

The Prime Minister said the government does not believe in political victimisation and all advertising dues of the previous government will be reconciled by the end of this month.

He said no new taxes and duties would be imposed on the newspaper industry in the next budget. He said the government would consider providing additional relief measures to help crisis ridden newspaper industry to cope up with the extraordinary inflationary pressures.

Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb and Special Assistant to Prime Minister Syed Fahd Hussain were also present. The APNS delegation comprised of senior members Mujeebur Rahman Shami, Jamil Ather, Shahab Zuberi, Ramiza Nizami, Umar Shami, Imtinan Shahid, Mumtaz Tahir, Mohsin Bilal, Awais Khushnood, Waseem Ahmed, Munir Gillani and Humayon Gulzar.