Parents bemoan exorbitant textbook prices

Barely one week after the commencement of the 2015/2016 academic year, parents, guardians and students alike, have bemoaned, not only the absence of textbooks in the market, but also the exorbitant prices charged by book vendors for prescribed textbooks.

Book vendors are taking advantage of the scarcity of prescribed textbooks in the market to increase the prices of the few available ones and make huge profits.

Speaking to The Post, some dealers in textbooks said the present situation should not be blamed on them, but rather on publishers, who have complained that their books have been grounded at the Douala Seaport.

According to Uzoma Nzerem, a book dealer, “The reason why books are not yet available in the market is because the textbooks are still stuck at the Douala Seaport, which need to be cleared. This was the reason given to us by publishers. A meeting was held between publishers and retailers aimed at looking at the difficulties they encountered in the course of the year. One of the problems they faced was that the Government has practically increased taxes on virtually every sector of their business, that is, on publishers, retailers and even customers,” Uzoma averred, adding that with this increase in taxes, the prices of books have also increased.

Uzoma, nonetheless, said he is one of the few book vendors who does so many things at a go, reason why he has a farm attached to the business he does so as to take care of his family.

“While waiting for the new textbooks to be released, we will manage to sell the old stock, believing that everything will be fine in the end,” he stated.

Peter Kah, a retailer of textbooks lamented; “The prices of books are very high and this has affected our profit margin negatively. For example, ‘Parlons Francais’ initially sold at FCFA 3,500 is now sold at FCFA 3,750.

“Literature books that customers usually buy for FCFA 1,500 are now sold at FCFA 2,500, for instance; Folks Of Wangi. That notwithstanding, we have to reduce the prices so as to sell, since this business is a seasonal one. I deal in agricultural chemicals to sustain my family,” he stated.

A parent, Emily Takum, observed; “It is very hard on me now to buy textbooks, since I have to pay school fees and buy other school needs. I am pleading with the publishers to try and reduce the prices of textbooks,” she said.

Retailers, like customers, are confident that something will be done to remedy the worrying situation. They are also pleading with the Government to reduce the tax on the parties involved in the book business in order to bring down the prices of textbooks for pupils and students before Head Teachers and Principals start sending them out of classes.