Newspaper owners have proposed a series of tax and duty cuts to support the struggling print media industry, including the withdrawal of import duty and value-added tax (VAT) on newsprint and a reduction in corporate tax.
The proposals were placed by Newspaper Owners’ Association of Bangladesh (NOAB) leaders during a pre-budget discussion for FY2026-27 held at the National Board of Revenue (NBR) auditorium in Agargaon on Tuesday.
NOAB urged the NBR to scrap the existing 3 per cent import duty and 15 per cent VAT on newsprint, the primary raw material for newspapers.
The association also proposed reducing corporate tax for the sector from 27.5 per cent to 10 per cent.
It further called for lowering the 5 per cent tax deducted at source on advertisement earnings and the 5 per cent advance income tax on raw material imports.
NOAB President Matiur Rahman Chowdhury highlighted the challenges facing the industry at the meeting, where Prothom Alo Editor Matiur Rahman, Sangbad Editor and Publisher Altamash Kabir, and Bonik Barta Editor and Publisher Dewan Hanif Mahmud were present.
NOAB said newspapers operate as a service where production costs exceed cover prices, with the gap traditionally offset by advertisement revenue.
However, both advertisement income and circulation have declined since the Covid-19 pandemic, making it difficult to cover costs and resulting in financial losses.
The association also pointed to rising global newsprint prices, which increased from $560 per tonne six months ago to around $630, while a stronger dollar has further raised import costs.
Newsprint accounts for 50 to 60 per cent of total production costs, NOAB said.
Newspapers currently face multiple taxes on imports, including 3 per cent duty, 15 per cent VAT, 5 per cent advance tax, and 7.5 per cent advance income tax, raising the landed cost to 130–132 per cent.
NOAB said the combined 5 per cent tax at source and 5 per cent advance income tax on advertisement earnings effectively amount to 10 per cent, despite profit margins often being lower, creating cash flow pressure.
Prothom Alo Editor Matiur Rahman said, “It costs around Tk28 to produce a single copy, while both circulation and income are falling,” calling for government support.
Bonik Barta Editor and Publisher Dewan Hanif Mahmud said existing taxpayers face additional pressure and stressed the need to reassess the country’s tax-to-GDP calculations.
Responding to the proposals, National Board of Revenue Chairman Abdur Rahman Khan said corporate tax for the newspaper industry would not be increased. “We will consider rational measures on other taxes and duties in the upcoming budget,” he added.
