Nino Burjanadze will hold consultations with media managers about extending tax breaks for media

Print media will retain some tax privileges, but exactly which kind of privileges, this will become known only after consultations.

This statement was made by Nino Burjanadze on a parliament bureau session on December 25.

According to her a consultation will be held with media managers before the end of the week.

Burjanadze considers that the press must have a favourable tax regime. Also, the speaker believes that the press must provide substantial arguments for extending tax breaks.

Leader of faction “National Movement – Democrats” Maia Nadiradze is against to extend tax privileges. At the session she declared that publishing press is business, and businessman should not enjoy artificial warming conditions. On the contrary, a competitive environment should be formed where the strongest will survive, Nadiradze said.

Under the current tax code media does not pay VAT, profit and property taxes until 1 January 2007. Profit drawn from advertisement services and property belonging to people involved in publishing and used in publishing is exempted from taxes.

The tax breaks were established in 2004 by President Saakashvili’s initiative.

        Source: media.ge