MANILA, Philippines - The Asia Pacific Publishers Association (APPA) has hailed the Department of Finance (DOF) for setting up rules and guidelines on duty-free and VAT exemptions of books and newspapers. Lawyer Dominador D. Buhain, president of the APPA, said the DOF has upheld the country’s commitment to the UNESCO Florence Agreement which provides free customs duties or other charges on “educational, scientific, and cultural materials such as books and newspapers. The DOF order specifically provides the necessary clarification on the procedure for the clearance and release of imported books from the Bureau of Customs. Buhain, who is chairman of REX Bookstores Inc., said the DOF order has clearly clarified and reiterated that importation of books is exempt from Value Added Tax (VAT) in accordance with paragraph Section 109 of the National Internal Revenue Code (NIRC), as amended.