Vietnamese paper producers pledged to provide enough paper for local market by the of this year, the Youth newspaper reported.
In a meeting between the Vietnam Paper Association, the Vietnam Paper General Company and Tan Mai Paper JSC, seeking ways to ensure sufficient paper in Hanoi July 16, the Vietnam Paper General Company promised to offer 70,000 tons of print paper and writing paper.
Tan Mai Paper JSC, the country&rsquos second biggest paper producer, also said it will provide 42,000 tons of print paper, and 25,000 tons of writing paper in the last six months of 2008.
The association also called on newspaper and notebook producers to take part in importing paper in order to calm down shortage at domestic market, because the Vietnam Paper General Co. and the Tan Mai are able to meet only 60 per cent of demand.
The association has also proposed to the government increase domestic paper prices while committed to maintaining these prices lower than import prices by 10 per cent because the current import paper prices are much higher than the domestic ones.
The association has also proposed to remove the tariff for imports of paper from ASEAN countries, which is currently set at 5 per cent and reduced the VAT for imports of pulp and associated papers from 10 per cent to 5 per cent, and even 0 per cent for paper for newspaper prints.
In 2008, Vietnamese paper producers are expected to produce 310,000 tons of writing paper. But sharply growing demand will force the producers to import 110,000 tons, double the volume of last year.
Vietnam spent US$403 million on importing 509,000 tons of all kinds of paper in the first six months of 2008, up 44.9 per cent and 29.6 per cent, respectively, from the same period of last year. (The Youth)
Vietnamese
