Agencies Unlikely to Be Included in Media Space
Media News. Representatives of printing media propose an initiative to declare a moratorium on taxes for mass media until 2007. In particular, public-political and popular-scientific newspapers should be exempt from taxes. The news agency “media news” has expressed its support for the initiative. According to Gela Ebanoidze, General Director of the agency: “It is necessary, that news agencies and web publications were also relieved from tax obligations. Especially because news agencies differ from other press agencies in that they do not have any advertising income, except signatures.”
The media being a united system, the approach to its individual branches should be one and the same. Magazines and newspapers along with web media won’t be able to exist without agencies, therefore the later should be given a chance to develop independently. Hence, all media branches, i.e. newspapers, magazines, news agencies and web publications alike should be entitled to the same financial advantages.”
Paradoxically, news agencies are not considered to be an integral part of the media. Rather they represent its appendix. Maybe someone in parliament will be kind enough to put forward the issue of relieving news agencies and web publications from taxes as well, - Gela Ebanoidze has stated.