By Chemist Mafuba
THE printing industry wishes the organisers of the Book Fair well ahead of the annual show that is set to take place in the Harare Gardens, as usual, during the last week of this month.
The message of goodwill has come from the chairman of the Federation of Master Printers of Zimbabwe, Ben Ntini, in an exclusive interview:
"I want to assure people who will be going to the Book Fair that we are able to meet the needs for all schools in the country," he said.

"However, it is vital that we get the necessary support that we need from the Government and the donor community to boost the industry and create more jobs. As we are discussing, Unicef is seeking to have books for secondary schools worth US$52 million printed outside the country when the industry in Zimbabwe has the capacity to do the job."
Ntini said the Zimbabwe International Book Fair Trust can rest assured that the printing industry has the capacity to manufacture all books for both primary and secondary schools that the nation needs.

"It is important to note that the industry is in dire need of recapitalisation for it to recover from the effects of the period of challenges that the country has been going through," he said.
"The capacity is still there to print all the textbooks that both primary and secondary schools this country need at any given time.

"Over the years, Zimbabwe has always printed its own books. Our industry is prepared to continue with this proud tradition. But, we need the requisite support from the Government and the donor community that is vital for our survival. We want to create more jobs for more people with the potential that is there," he said.

"The printing of books outside the country could create jobs for 10 000 at a time when our industry is poised to play its part in the reconstruction of our economy."
The federation represents 220 companies that are affiliated to it with a labour force of 4 000 in the printing, packaging and newspapers sectors of the industry.

Ntini said the aim of the federation is basically to ensure the existence, the survival and the growth of the industry in Zimbabwe through linking policymakers, the Government and the organisation standing for employers and employees.
"In relation to the publishing sector," said Ntini, "we are the producers in terms of manufacturing textbooks and exercise books.

"It is critical the printing industry be nurtured by providing timely financial incentives to ensure that all printing requirements, in particular school textbooks, are done locally," he said.
"It is pertinent to have policies that support this industry as this will save a lot of the money that is going out of the country through exporting printing requirements that we do."
Ntini said that the donor community came together recently to fund the printing of textbooks for children in Zimbabwe under Unicef's co-ordination.

A staggering 80 percent of the order for the textbooks that the nation needs for primary schools went outside Zimbabwe, when the capacity that is available in the country remains idle.
At the time of the interview on Wednesday last week, Unicef was co-ordinating yet another print order for secondary school textbooks, of which more than 80 percent will be printed outside the country.
The federation is making efforts to have that job done in Zimbabwe.

The US$52 million that the donors will extend to meet the order for books for secondary schools will go out of the country.
The policymakers are expected to announce any time another strategic plan which is aimed at boosting the national economy.
"The federation has approached all the relevant economic ministries in the country and has been in touch with local publishing houses with a view to trying to have orders go to local printing companies," said Ntini.
"This has been to no avail. Unicef has always brought up the issues of international pricing and regional pricing.

"That issue can be resolved in favour of Zimbabwe if the will is there. There is no country that has come out of an economic crisis like Zimbabwe which can open to outside competition before it has recapitalised its industry to ensure that it is viable.
"Zimbabwe has no capacity to subsidise its industries as is the case with other countries like South Africa whose operations have a direct bearing on the economy of this country. It must be noted that the provision of money for textbooks and cheap prices may benefit the child in the short-term.

"Even in the long-term, companies have to trade with care. The future of companies that continue printing the same textbooks and of some of the local publishing houses that handle those orders can't be assured."
Ntini noted with concern that textbooks for Zimbabwe have to be sent out of the country for printing when firms in the country have the capacity to do the job. In Tanzania, USaid insisted that orders for the books that it was funding should be printed by indigenous companies of that country to help it to boost its economy.

That measure breathed a new lease of life into printing companies that had been going through a restructuring exercise that required painful decisions to be taken. A move along similar lines would help nurture printing companies for the young people in Zimbabwe that the Government would like to see controlling the resources of the country.

The way in which orders for books are processed should take into account the requirements for future reprints that companies that are outside the country might not be able to fulfil.
"A few companies have had to close down due to lack of support from relevant quarters," said Ntini.

"This has resulted in a significant number of workers having to relocate. Our industry needs to be given the means with which to find its own feet through preferential trade that will give it ample space to restructure its operations."
The use of computers has meant that all printing companies in Zimbabwe have had to change their mode of operations in order for them to be able to meet exacting demands of the modern economy.

This is an on-going exercise that is requires policies and financial inducement that can enable companies to diversify their operations as and when need arises.
"We estimate that 10 000 jobs can be created in this country if books that are sent outside the country for printing can be manufactured by local printing companies," said Ben Ntini.
"For years there has not been any funding coming to the industry either from banks or from the donor community that would enable the industry to modernise its operations.

"The effect of lack of funding has been that we can't compete with companies in other countries that have been able to modernise their operations through financial injections and preferential trade policies.
"We hope that the donor community will be able to understand our position and see whether they can give us some of the print orders that are going outside the country.
"They can also help us to recapitalise as this will help our sector to grow. Policymakers have to formulate policies that are sensitive to how we got to where we are as an industry.

"The federation is writing position documents to contribute to policy formulation in relevant areas. Other countries have managed to deal with these issues by putting high duty on printing products that local companies could do."

Ntini reassured the Trust running the Trade Fair that writers have nothing to worry about getting their books printed.
The federation is working together with the association for publishers in the interests of the book industry.

"It is important to note that, even before recapitalisation of this industry, capacity remains for printing all the school textbooks required for this country," he said.
cmafuba@yahoo.com