PLANS by government to give a contract to print textbooks worth US$25 million to foreign companies have raised eyebrows.

Sources said the United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef) and other donors pledged the money for the One- Child-One-Text-Book campaign to benefit Zimbabwe's school children.

The campaign is meant to re-equip Zimbabwe's heavily under-resourced schools.

It is expected to result in every child at primary and secondary school getting at least one textbook for each subject by January.

However, the Ministry of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture planned to take the job to South Africa, India, Mauritius or China because local publishers "did not have the capacity" to print the books.

"The industry was informed that donors had pledged US$25 million for the supply of textbooks but the ministry had been advised that local printers do not have the capacity to print the books," the source from the Zimbabwe Printers' Association (ZPA) said.

"That was when the printers requested a meeting with the ministry asking to be considered in this project."

The sources said industry saw this as an opportunity to boost its operations which currently stand between 25% and 30%.

But their dreams could go up in smoke if the government forges ahead with its plans to take the job outside the country.

Minister of Education David Coltart yesterday confirmed hat he had held "a series of meetings with both publishers and printers" over the issue.

He said government was reconsidering its plans to outsource the job provided that local printers come up with competitive prices.

"Initially, there was concern about the local industry's capacity but that and many other issues have been resolved," Coltart said.

"I would like to see that money being used within Zimbabwe. But the outstanding issue now is whether or not local printers can charge competitive prices."

He said quotations received so far showed that it was more expensive to print locally.

"For example, one book which is printed for $1.70 in India costs $5 when printed in Zimbabwe," he said.

Other countries with lower quotations include South Africa, Mauritius and China.

Coltart however said the amount to be used in the Textbook Fund will only be known on Wednesday when his ministry, together with Unicef and other donor countries, launch the project in Harare.

He said the pupil-textbook ratios in the country's schools were shocking.