Prices of local and imported paper, including newsprint, have surged by 8 percent to 25 percent due to continuous decline in the rupee value and rising cost of production after budget declaration, market sources said.
They said that all kinds of paper prices have been increased by local manufacturers, and hinted at further increase in the next few weeks, whereas the prices of imported paper are also on rise due to the depreciation in rupee value. "Dollar has reached Rs 70 from Rs 61, making the imported paper much costlier in the local market," they added.
They said that local paper manufacturers have raised price of writing paper and printing paper--mainly used for college, writing pads, registers and school books--by Rs 16 per kg or 25 percent during the last one month. With this increases the price of writing paper has touched Rs 80 per kg against Rs 64 per kg in June 2008.
The price of newsprint, which is 100 percent imported, has surged by Rs 5 per kg, or 7.35 percent, during the last one month, and has reached Rs 73 per kg from Rs 68 per kg. Sources said that further raise in newsprint price is expected during the next one month and is likely to touch new peak at Rs 80 per kg.
Art card price has increased by Rs 7 per kg to Rs 104 per kg from Rs 97 per kg. The price of imported offset paper has mounted to Rs 106 per kg from Rs 90 per kg, depicting an increase of 18 percent.
Sources said that at present the market has great demand of all types of paper, especially writing and printing paper, as schools and colleges vacations are nearing end and new session would start from August. All Pakistan Paper Merchants Association Chairman Ziauddin expressed deep concern over the big rise in paper prices and said that the current price hike would have a negative impact on the prices of textbooks and notebooks.
He said that ultimately the prices of school notebooks and textbooks would also go up and people would be compelled to buy costly stationery. He said that local manufacturers have increased the prices on the back of rising cost of production, while the cost of imported paper has already increased due to the continuous decline in rupee value.