The Milli Majlis Committee of Economic Policy, Industries and Enterprising held a public hearing about the earmarked changes in the Tax Code on 2 November.

The committee chairman Tahir Mirkishili delivered an introductory presentation, telling the participants that the Bill in question, submitted to the parliament by the president of the country, envisaged a VAT-exemption of book and paper products’ importation and sales.

Specifically, the amendment to Article 164 of the Tax Code introduces an exemption from the value-added tax of imports and sales of the mass-media products and books (save e-books) including manuals and text-books that will be in the list to be kept by an appropriate executive authority. Further, it is proposed to VAT-exempt importation and sales of rolled and sheet paper used to produce (print) the above-said products and, lastly, of editorial, publishing and polygraphic operations (save advertising services) related to production of print mass media and books (including e-books) and manual sets.

The Bill that has arrived at the Milli Majlis is another sheer evidence of the Azerbaijani president’s attention to this field as a whole; the exemption from the value-added tax will cause reduction in book and other print prices (including manuals and text-books) and will give a jolt to the local printing industry whilst also helping open new jobs and promote business enterprising, according to Mr Mirkishili.

Another parliamentary committee chairman Zahid Oruj, the MPs Fazil Mustafa, Etibar Aliyev, Nizami Jafarov and Erkin Gadirli as well as representatives of publishing houses, bookshop chains and media were attending the hearings. The speakers welcomed the legislative initiative of the head of the state and said that the proposed fiscal loosening was coming as a big event for media, writers, literature and book-lovers. This step will bear well on the quality and quantity of books; it will also create a momentum behind the whole media industry and bring about longer lists of literary works on offer, in their opinion.

Tahir Mirkishili summed the hearing up; he thanked the participants for their active attitude and said that the innovation discussed today would mark a turning-point in the concerned field.

The Press and Public Relations Department
The Milli Majlis