Bill on Films in next parliamentary session: Minister Sharma

Published On: January 12, 2024 06:45 PM NPT By: Republica  | @RepublicaNepal


LALITPUR,  Jan 12: Minister for Communications and Information Technology, Rekha Sharma, has said that preparations were afoot to present the Bill on Films in the upcoming session of parliament.

At an interaction organized by the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology and Film Censor Board here today, Minister Sharma urged the professionals of the film fraternity to furnish suggestions since, she said, that bill would be prepared incorporating the suggestions coming from the professionals facing problems in this sector.

"We are preparing to present an Act related to films in the upcoming session of parliament. A film is not merely a form of entertainment. It is one of the mediums of mass communication. We are expecting to formulate laws that could be relevant for the next 20 years," Sharma said.

Pledging to address the problem of not having a separate office of the Film Censor Board, the Minister also committed to facilitate the same. Stating that quality management was an important issue for competitive film production, she said that Nepali films should take into account competing in the domestic and foreign markets.

On a different note, she acknowledged that problems facing the female filmmakers were distinct, and urged for suggestions for devising policies and budget to address the problems.

She drew the attention of the Advertisement Board to oversee and prevent running of the advertisements barred by the constitution.

Similarly, Bishal Sapkota, in his presentation, pressed for amendments to the old law on films formulated in 2026 BS. He underlined reforming the film sector by various measures including adopting innovative technologies.

Expressing his concern over the narrow scope for research and development in the country, he opined that legal provisions should be put in place and opportunities and possibilities should be created for the artists' dignified livelihood.

Likewise, Nirmala Neupane, an under secretary at the MoCIT and member-secretary at the Board, opined that the interaction would significantly aid in streamlining film censorship related works and addressing the prevailing film fraternity.

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