THE National Book Development Board (NBDB) issues guidelines with regard to the Tax- and Duty-Free Importation (TADFI) of paper, an important raw material for book publishing.

The guidelines were issued by the NBDB in anticipation of the expected volume of applications coming from printers of educational publishers for the paper to be used for new sets of Textbooks (TXs) and Teacher’s Manuals (TMs) that the Department of Education (DepEd) will begin procuring for public school learners.

The first batch of procurement is projected to happen during the first half of this year, and will be allocated for Grades 1, 4, and 7, and for Senior High School (SHS) students.

The guidelines are part of the “Interim Guidelines for Book Industry Associations on the Tax- and Duty-Free Importation of Paper for Textbooks and Teacher’s Manuals,” or the “2017 Guidelines,” which was promulgated by the NBDB Governing Board on August 17, 2017. These will apply for the TADFI of paper to be used exclusively for the printing and publishing of TXs and TMs.

The objective of the guidelines is to encourage more applications from book industry associations duly registered with the NBDB, with at least three members who are bona fide importers in the book supply chain like publishers, printers, and booksellers.