Dhaka, March 31 -- Newspaper owners have proposed significant tax cuts to support the struggling print media industry. At a pre-budget discussion for FY2026-27 held at the National Board of Revenue (NBR) auditorium in Agargaon on Tuesday, leaders of the Newspaper Owners' Association of Bangladesh (NOAB) urged the withdrawal of the 3.0% import duty and 15% VAT on newsprint.

They also called for reducing corporate tax from 27.5% to 10%, alongside cuts in the 5.0% source tax on advertisement income and 5.0% advance tax on raw material imports, according to local media reports.

NOAB leaders highlighted rising production costs, declining circulation, and falling advertisement revenue since the Covid-19 pandemic. Newsprint prices have increas...