Printing industry likely to raise charges

by Nem Davies
Thursday, 01 October 2009 13:42

New Delhi (Mizzima) – With the Burmese military regime deciding to issue new Kyat 5,000 denomination currency notes as of today, the printing industry is likely to hike charges, printing press owners in Rangoon said.

An official of the famous printing press in Rangoon, Botataung Township told Mizzima that because of rising inputs such as ink, paper and other chemicals, they have to raise service charges by 12 to 15 per cent.

“Paper suppliers have already communicated that the price of paper will increase. We have to raise printing service charges also, taking into account the overall cost structure otherwise we will be in the red,” he said.

Most printing press supplies are imported from foreign countries. The fluctuation of the currency exchange rate has only worsened the situation. So the ever changing exchange rate needs to be closely monitored, an official of the Myathida press in Rangoon said.

“We are still monitoring the situation. We will raise our service charge depending on the change in input costs,” he said.

The Central Bank announced on Friday that the new currency note will be in circulation from today. Following the announcement, there was a sudden surge in job orders for the printing press industry.

The papers are imported from China, Indonesia and India. The ink is imported from China and Japan. The cheapest Chinese ink costs Kyat 8,000 for 2.5 Kg and the most expensive Japanese made ink costs Kyat 5,700 to 8,000 per Kg, the Pollen printing supplies shop said.

Media circles said that the increase in printing service charges may affect the publishing of magazines and journals in Burma.

“We have to raise the price of our weekly journals or else our circulation will have to be reduced,” a weekly journal editor told Mizzima.

“We won’t raise our magazine price again. In fact, we’d like to reduce the current price. We would rather reduce about 16 pages. We will reduce the classified pages too,” a magazine editor said.

The editors of journals and magazines said that if the publication price is raised the publishing business will face a bleak future given that readership is declining.