LAHORE: The Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) has urged the Chief Minister Punjab Mohsin Naqvi, Chief Secretary, Secretary Education and Secretary Schools to take notice of non-payment of Rs5.5 billion to the printers and publishers by Punjab Curriculum and Textbook Board as they are facing a severe financial crisis.

The demand was raised by LCCI President Kashif Anwar while talking to a delegation of printers and publishers led by Khalid Pervaiz at LCCI. LCCI Senior Vice President Zafar Mahmood Chaudhry, former President Muhammad Ali Mian, former Vice President Faheem ur Rehman Saigol, Secretary Information All Pakistan Anjuman Tajran Zikaria Butt and Chairman All Pakistan Printers Association Syed Makram Abbas also spoke on the occasion.

The delegation informed the President that Punjab Curriculum and Textbook Board had issued a tender worth Rs 15 billion for the printing of textbooks for students of government schools. However, the payment of Rs 5.5 billion for this printing is still pending.

They said the price of paper had increased many times and if the Punjab Curriculum and Textbook Board did not pay the remaining Rs5.5 billion to the printers and publishers, the textbooks would not be printed for the next academic year and millions of students would not be able to get free books. This will also put their career on stake.

They said the government should immediately take notice of the situation and issue an order to pay the Rs5.5 billion to the printers and publishers because tenders were issued only when there were funds available. Printers and publishers should be paid according to the terms of the tender otherwise they would be forced to protest strongly.

LCCI President Kashif Anwar expressed concern over the situation and urged Chief Minister Punjab Mohsin Naqvi, Chief Secretary, Secretary Education and Secretary Schools to take immediate action to make payments of Rs 5.5 billion to the printers and publishers. He said that the academic career of millions of students was on stake, adding the economic situation would further aggravate therefore, the government should resolve that issue at the earliest.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023