Cabinet of Ministers sabotages Presidential decree by bringing literacy down to total illiteracy

Baku/27.04.22/Turan: The Milli Majlis and the Presidential Administration reported late last year that the import and production of books, except for electronic ones, would be exempt from VAT from 1 January 2022. It was added that the list of VAT-exempt books would be approved by a body determined by the relevant executive authority.  VAT will not be charged on imports of textbook sets, paper in the form of rolls or sheets for the production of these products. Besides, editorial, publishing and printing activities (excluding advertising services) for print media and book production are also exempt from VAT.

The fourth month of the year is coming to an end, however, book publishers are required to pay the same taxes that were levied in 2021. Nigar Kochiarli, owner of Ali and Nino Publishing Company, reports on FB that despite repeated appeals to the Tax Service, the Cabinet of Ministers and the State Customs Committee, they are forced to pay VAT.  "The Cabinet of Ministers and Customs generally ignore our appeals, the tax authorities give a standard answer that they are waiting for some list of books, which should be approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.  The point is that the law has a clause about 'the list of books approved by an executive body'," Kochiarli added.

In a letter to Turan, Shahbaz Huduoglu, owner of the Ganun publishing company, wonders: how is it possible that the law is adopted, but government agencies ignore it? "The President signed a decree exempting us from the 18% tax. However, when we go to government agencies, we are required to pay VAT.  What is going on? Do government agencies ignore the decree or the decree was adopted to cheat?"

It should be added that Turan sent written enquiries to the State Customs Committee and the Tax Service. There were no answers even despite the fact they were required by law.  N.Kochiarli received two official answers. The letters from the Tax Service confirm the decree on exemption from taxation, but the Service reminds that the decree also says that the books specified in the list prepared by the "relevant executive agency" are exempt. Note that the Cabinet of Ministers is responsible for the said .executive agency Three months are allocated to prepare the list. Judging by the fact that April is coming to an end and there is no list, it means publishers are suffering losses.

Kociarli is astonished at the incomprehensible methodology of compiling the "list of books" and nowhere does it say according to what criteria one printed product will be exempt from VAT, while another will be more expensive to publish because of the need to pay tax.   "Chekhov, for example, will be subject to VAT, but Faulkner will not? Every day hundreds of thousands of new books are printed around the world. How will the Cabinet 'approve' them if they don't even have time to respond to our letters?" asks Kociarli.

Book publishers are raising the public to defend the Presidential decree. Writers say that high prices for domestic and imported books have reduced literacy to total illiteracy, and parents cannot afford to buy schoolchildren new textbooks because it is too expensive. The sensible Presidential decree is not being implemented because the Cabinet of Ministers is not fulfilling its direct responsibilities?-0-