Noab seeks FBCCI support to ride out crisis
The Newspaper Owners’ Association of Bangladesh (Noab) yesterday sought cooperation from the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) in developing the industry and resolving the crisis it is facing through talks.
Noab leaders made the call at a meeting with FBCCI President Sheikh Fazle Fahim and other leaders of the apex trade body at the latter’s office in Dhaka, according to a statement of the federation.
The newspaper industry is currently going through an unprecedented difficult time, said Noab President and Prothom Alo Editor Matiur Rahman.
Despite being a service industry the corporate tax for the newspaper industry is 35 percent, which is a major stumbling block to the growth of the sector, he said.
As a result, the industry is struggling to survive. Many newspapers are running operations through subsidies, according to Rahman.
The two sides also talked about the ninth wage board for journalists.
The Noab president said the newspaper industry has come under pressure because of the new wage structure.
Rahman urged the FBCCI to create a scope for the Noab to increase communication with the government in order to drive the growth of the newspaper industry, help increase earnings and slash the corporate tax to 10 percent.
The Noab leaders said they hope the government would treat the industry as a friend.
Fahim said it is outside the FBCCI’s mandate if any newspaper owners have any distance with the government.
Since the FBCCI had no involvement in the implementation process of the wage board from the beginning, the issue can be evaluated, he also said.
Issues related to the financial interests of the industry, such as value chain structure, can be reviewed jointly with the Noab, he said.
FBCCI Vice-Presidents Md Siddiqur Rahman, Hasina Newaaz and Dilip Kumar Agarwala, Director Md Munir Hossain, Samakal Publisher AK Azad, Daily Star Editor and Publisher Mahfuz Anam, Daily Manabzamin Chief Editor Matiur Rahman Chowdhury, Financial Express Editor Shah Husain Imam, Daily Sangbad Editor Altamash Kabir and Bonik Barta Editor Dewan Hanif Mahmud were also present.
