KARACHI, Aug 07 (APP): Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb on Sunday said that the government had made the film production and cinemas income tax-free to promote the film industry in the country.
While addressing Icon Awards 2023 ceremony at a local hotel here, she said that the work on the first Film Policy of the country started in 2016, which was approved in 2018. She said that the policy was formulated with the consultation of the artists, producers and people related to the film industry.
The Minister said that the senior and famous artists of the country gave their inputs on the Film Policy.
Marriyum Aurangzeb said that former Prime Minister Mohammed Nawaz Sharif gave films the status of industry.
She said that under the first Film Policy cinamas had been exempted from income tax for five years.
She said that there was no import duty on cinema equipment, adding there would be no sales tax.
The Minister said that no funds were allocated for the making of films in the past. The incumbent government had earmarked Rs 2 billion Film Finance Fund for a year to facilitate the filmmakers. She said that a Film Finance Committee had also been constituted.
She said that the artists were the assets of Pakistan Television (PTV). Marriyum said that PTV Academy had been renovated after a period of 29 years and it had been re-opened.
She said that PTV archives had been digitalized and those were available online under the one-window facility.
The Minister said that 12 studios had been established in Radio Pakistan. A Voice Hunt programme had also been commenced, adding 75 years of archives of Radio Pakistan had also been digitalized, she added.
Marriyum said that the first Pakistan Music Policy focused to preserve, develop and protect had been drafted, which would be approved in the upcoming Cabinet meeting.
She said that time had come to show the real face of the country to the world.
The Minister said that Rs1 billion each for journalists and artists had been allocated.
Sindh Governor Mohammed Kamran Khan Tessori and Secretary of Information, who is also Managing Director of PTV Sohail Ali Khan also addressed the ceremony.
Later, the Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb and the Secretary of Information and Broadcasting distributed Health Cards among the artists.
Awards were also given to the artists, directors and people related to the film and music industry including Javed Shaikh, Asif Raza Mir, Syed Noor, Sultana Siddiqui, Sheema Kirmani, Sajid Hasan, Nadeem Mandviwala, Usman Pirzada and others.
