From The Standard:
It is back to school again, but the book industry in Kenya is reeling under the effects of skyrocketing paper prices in the world market coupled with low purchasing power for their book titles.
Citing rising raw material costs for missed earnings, shrinking profits and frequent change of syllabus texts by the Ministry of Education, publishers are sending a cry to the Government to intervene by giving tax waivers on paper and inputs used to produce school books.
Publishers warned that free primary and secondary education goal may be jeopardised by the prohibitive cost of books beyond the reach of many parents and students.
But in this challenging environment, where Pan Paper Mills in Webuye , Kenya’s sole manufacturer of paper stopped production, publishers are struggling with strategies to protect their companies – without drastically raising book prices.
