The necessity of the addenda and amendments being proposed to the law on Cinematography is conditioned by the circumstance of improving the guarantees of state policy aimed at the development of film production sphere in Armenia and boosting the investments and establishing more attractive mechanisms. The Chair of the Standing Committee on Science, Education, Culture, Diaspora, Youth and Sport Sisak Gabrielyan said about this.
The draft law on Making Addenda and Amendments to the law on Cinematography authored by the deputies Sisak Gabrielyan and Taguhi Tovmasyan was debated in the first reading at April 25 sitting of the Standing Committee on Science, Education, Culture, Diaspora, Youth and Sport.
The key rapporteur informed that the Committee organized two debates with the representatives of film production sphere.
The monetary costs carried for the goods and services related directly with the film production of the filmmaker (investor) by the proposing regulation can be partially returned by up to 20%.
According to the draft, the amount of providing the partial return of the investments, the proportionality and terms of allocation, the list and the format of the expenses subject to return as well as the procedures of refusing, stopping the return, making chargeback to the state budget will be established by the decision of the Government.
Answering the deputies’ questions, Sisak Gabrielyan presented in detail the consecutive steps of applying to the National Centre of the film make making use of the opportunity from the state assistance.
The amount of percentage up to 20% of particularly partial chargeback is to be discussed by the observations of the deputy Hasmik Hakobyan, filmmaker Davit Banuchyan. Sisak Gabrielyan noted that the issue will be discussed, and in the near future he will organize one meeting with the cinema producers and partners of the Ministry of Finance by the Committee.
The co-rapporteur Hasmik Hakobyan expressed conviction that the amendments being proposed by the draft will promote the development of the cinema production.
The RA Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport Zhanna Andreasyan highlighted that this year the 100th anniversary of the establishment of Armenian Cinema is celebrated, we’ll be able to have such legislative mechanisms, which will open new phase for the development of cinema production. He informed that in the near future a sub-legislative package stemming from the law will be circulated, expressing hope that their unified implementation will create institutional opportunities.
The revised draft was endorsed.
The debate of the draft laws on Making Amendments and Addenda to the law on Video-Hearing Media authored by the deputies Lilit Galstyan and Elinar Vardanyan and on Making Addenda and Amendments to the RA Code on Administrative Offenses authored by the deputy Lilit Galstyan was postponed up to two months.