Foreign content damages Pakistan's local film, drama industry, will tax them at higher rates, says Minister
Dec 22, 2021
Islamabad [Pakistan], December 22 : Emphasising that foreign content has damaged Pakistan's local film and drama industry, the country's Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry said that the government plans to impose higher taxes on foreign content, reported local media.
Pakistan government had finalised a new film policy through which it aims to incentivise the industry, Geo News quoted Chaudhry as saying during a press conference here on Wednesday.
The government had proposed the Federal Bureau of Revenue (FBR) charge higher tax, said Chaudhry, adding that if a channel is airing foreign dramas so that they should not be cheaper than local ones.
Stressing that Pakistani television channels have made it a norm of importing foreign drama, he said that due to this exercise, the local dramas have suffered a huge blow.
The minister also underlined that channels air foreign dramas as those are cheaper than local ones.
Referring to the advertisements, Chaudhry said that foreign actors are being hired for advertisements.
He also emphasised that foreign actors are being hired and Pakistani actors remain unemployed without any reason.
With regard to such advertisements, the Minister said that the government would also impose heavy taxes on such ads -- to help Pakistani artists.
