Ghana Publishers and Authors to increase prices of textbooks over 'killer' import levies

Starting from September 2024, the Ghana National Association of Authors and Publishers (GNAAP) will implement a price increase for wholesale books.

Under the new pricing structure, books targeted at preschool children will be priced between GHs 50 and GHs 60, primary school textbooks will range from GHs 60 to GHs 80, and junior high school books will be priced between GHs 80 and GHs 180.

The sales policy will primarily operate on a cash and carry basis, with a standard discount of 25% offered. In exceptional cases involving bulk purchases, credit terms will be available, but not exceeding 40 days from the date of purchase and delivery, with a discount of 10%.

This decision was reached by GNAAP due to various factors contributing to increased production costs for books in Ghana. These factors include hefty port levies, VAT on books imposed by the government, high interest rates, inflation, and the continuous depreciation of the cedi against the dollar.

During a media briefing held in Kumasi on Thursday, May 9, 2024, GNAAP criticized the government for disregarding the Florence Agreement of 1950, which exempts indigenously designed but foreign-printed books from import duties and VAT. Despite Ghana's adherence to the agreement, the group revealed that authorities at the port are not implementing it effectively.

According to documents obtained by leakyghana.com, importers are burdened with various charges at the port, including the COVID-19 Health Recovery levy, Africa Union Import Levy, Import Withholding Tax, Import VAT, processing fees, Import NHIL, and Special Import Levy.

John Akwasi Amponsah, President of GNAAP, highlighted the financial strain faced by publishers due to mounting debts and the diminishing purchasing power caused by inflation and high borrowing costs. He emphasized the need for the government to reconsider port charges and withdraw VAT from books to alleviate the financial burden on publishers.

GNAAP warned of further price increases beyond the proposed rates if the government fails to address the challenges promptly. They expressed their reluctance to pass on the VAT cost to consumers, as it would contradict the objective of sharing the tax burden with clients.