Monday 16 January 2017

Survivor dream may take longer to materialise

By MATTHEW VARI

Sunday, December 18, 2016 (Sunday Chronicle, PNG)



WORLD famous reality TV program Survivor and the possibility of the much followed program to take place in Papua New Guinea, may take some more time as expected.

This was revealed by Minister for Tourism, Arts and Culture Tobias Kulang, when asked about the regulations and changes needed to enable the efficient entrance of commercial film and television productions in the country.

With less defined laws and what is termed by some cultural officials as the unnecessary charges imposed on potential exposure through international television programs through taxes and other duties on equipment- Minister Kulang said that the need to build the right framework was vital.

“We have to develop this industry systematically from bottom up to make sure that we have the right framework and infrastructure before we venture into things like Survivor,” he said.

“Survivor is a commercial enterprise driven with the commercial interest, they are coming on board trying to engage us but we are quiet not ready.”

“There is a string of legislations that have to be looked at in terms of tax, tariffs and quarantine, in terms of labour.”

He said the program owners have produced a list of what is needed which will need review of current legislations to accommodate such a global television program that will bring substantial benefits in marketing the country as a tourism destination.

“They want to bring skilled labour for that and it will be short term, so all of these issues come to the fore.”

“We are engaging them and they have given us a list of issues that we have to look at and what we are telling them is that it is going to take a while to be able to review our own legislations and internal arrangements and to be able to cater for their needs.”

“But at the moment we are talking to them,” Kulang concluded.

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