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Public Defender: Tax Privileges for Press should be Extended

December 29, 2006

Georgian Ombudsman Sozar Subari believes that the temporary tax privileges introduced for press till January 1, 2007 should be extender for several more years.

“Two years ago President Mikheil Saakashvili said: “We won’t be able to get much income from the press, while print media has to survive”. I understand that these tax privileges cannot go on forever, but the general situation for the press hasn’t changed after two years. Paper, electricity etc. became more expensive…” Subari told “The Georgian Times” newspaper.

As for Broadcasters’ Code of Conduct, according to Subari, “TV stations should have the Codes of Conduct by all means, because the journalists often violate privacy”.

“We must divide this Code of Conduct into three parts: first of all, journalism ethics, which is a matter of journalists’ self regulation. The second issue is when human rights and values are violated and strict sanctions are to be applied: for example bad influence on minors, violation of privacy – when somebody pokes his or her nose in someone’s private life, in all these cases there should be sanctions against such journalists. Whether these sanctions have to be applied by court or Communications Commission is a matter of debate, but these sanctions are necessary” – Subari said.

At the same time Subari cannot understand why the Communications Commission should be concerned with technical issues.

“When a journalist films something with a hidden camera, it shouldn’t be judged by Communications Commission or any other state agency. It’s the journalist’s business how and where he or she decides to place the camera” – Subari said.

Sourse: Media.ge

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