23 April 2010, 13:39
Opening the meeting, Andrii Shevchenko, the First Deputy Chairman of the Committee pointed out the attention to the fact of increase of taxation rates for the advertising, expediency of which had been discussed in mass media for the long time.
As it was declared in the course of the meeting, there is a discussion in mass media regarding the information on the possible crucial changes in the conditions of the economic activity of the mass media in Ukraine. On particular it concerns the amendments to the Decree of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine "On Local Taxes and Charges" according to which the tax rates on advertising is to be immensely increases and introduce new object of the taxation "publishing (making public) on any information on name of sponsor, trademark and services of the external advertisements in 10 times, for the television advertising in 42 ties and for the published mass media in 30 times.
Giving comments regarding the problem, A. Shevchenko stated that the amendments on any of markets, in particular it concerns the advertising market should be "transparent, step-by-step and adequate."
According to Mykola Tomenko, the Deputy Chairman of the Verkhovna Rda of Ukraine who participated in the meting stated that it is obvious that if such tax is implemented, in order to save the national television industry, mass media needs either transference to the shadow advertising activity or close all the national television projects and broadcast copies of American of Russian soap operas. "Regional channels under such conditions would be not able even to exist at all", M. Tomenko stated.
In the course of the discussion, Viktor Ukolov, the People´s Deputy of Ukraine addressed the representative of the Cabinet of Ministers with the question whether there would be certain governmental initiatives regarding the indicated above issue in the course of the next plenary week and received negative answer.
The participants of the consultations also discussed the issue on the budget financing of the state and public organizations that work in the mass media sphere. A/ Shevchenko called all the interested parties to submit the proposition regarding this matter to the Committee as son as possible.