Govt, Arts Council Karachi sign MoU for first ‘National Entertainment Awards’

ISLAMABAD: The ministry of information and broadcasting has inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Arts Council of Pakistan Karachi for the first ‘National Entertainment Awards’ of the country.

The signing ceremony was held in Islamabad on Wednesday during which Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry was also present. Addressing the media after inking the MoU, Chaudhry lamented that the mediums of story-telling including film and dramas were weakened and destroyed in Pakistan over time.

He recalled that in the 1960s, Pakistan was the third-largest film producer in the world and in one instance in 2005, plummeted to zero, adding that Pakistan was also among the top countries having the largest cinema screens, however, the minister expressed his hope that the initiative of the national awards will revive these industries.

Sharing details, the minister said there will be as many as 22 different awards in the various categories of film, drama, and music. He said that collectively, Rs250 million will be granted to the winners through the national awards and claimed it will be the biggest in the country’s history.

He said the government has formulated the new film policy under which the film industry has been incentivised. “At some places, taxes have been imposed especially on foreign content while local content will be encouraged.”

The minister said, in the new policy, they have suggested the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) tax the foreign content to an extent that it is not cheaper than the local drama.

He said different channels have adapted the norm of importing foreign dramas as they are cheaper, adding that the practice has adversely affected the local industry. Similarly, Fawad said that the advertisements will also be heavily taxed in which foreign actors and models are cast and local talent is ignored.

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The information minister said the process of obtaining a non-objection certificate (NOC) for using scenic locations in films and dramas is being simplified with a one-window operation to attract foreign film and drama makers.

The minister said they are also creating a film division in Pakistan Television Network (PTV). He disclosed that two big movies on Zaheer-ud-din Babur and Allama Muhammad Iqbal being made in collaboration with Uzbekistan and Iran respectively are in their final stages.

He said both films will be multi-million dollar projects at par with international standards. Along with it, a movie on Tipu Sultan is being made with a private company, he added.

Fawad said that PTV films will serve as a platform for young filmmakers who would get funding for making movies with the national channel.

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Further, he said the government has kept a special focus on the cinema in the new policy and made it lucrative. He said the taxes on cinemas have been slashed to revive the industry, adding that one cinema screen feeds nearly 23 families.

Fawad said the cinemas would be offered industrial and domestic power tariffs to end their sufferings due to commercial tariffs.

The minister said for the first time, the entertainment channels have also been included in the advertisement policy.

He reiterated that stories are spread through music, culture, film, not political debates and press conferences.