By BUUMBA CHIMBULU
THE Free Press Initiative (FPI) has commended Government for granting a three-year tax holiday on broadcasting equipment, as it calls for extension of similar incentives to the print industry.
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Joan Chirwa, the FPI founder and Executive Director has welcomed the issuance of the Statutory Instrument (SI) No 67 of 2023 through which the government has allowed a three-year tax holiday on broadcasting equipment.
Through the SI, Government has accorded a three-Year tax holiday on broadcasting equipment to a body registered under the National Arts Council of Zambia Act and those licensed under the Independent Broadcasting Authority Act.
Ms Chirwa said this decision demonstrated the realisation and recognition that media freedom in the country can only thrive if the environment for information disseminators is accommodative enough.
“It is irrefutable that we cannot have media freedom thriving if there are choking taxes and statutory obligations which result into hefty penalties if not met on time. We cannot forget other expenses that come with running businesses and at the same time, these media institutions are expected to promote media freedom,” she said in a statement issued yesterday.”
Ms Chirwa, however, urged Government to extend similar incentives to the print industry, saying it is suffering the brunt of a massively weakened Kwacha which is making the importation of consumables extremely expensive.
She explained that running a newspaper in Zambia today has become extremely expensive as taxes and rising costs of consumables such as newsprint are choking the business beyond expected levels.
“Added to these is the newly introduced Value Added Tax on electronic newspapers, which to us is a double charge on print media houses. These issues are consequently making it extremely hard for media owners to run media houses efficiently and profitably,” Ms Chirwa said.
“The FPI therefore appeals to the government to take careful consideration of the issues to support excellence in journalism and full enjoyment of media freedom,” she said.
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