Yangon Region government is reviewing the rental fee for state owned and private cinemas, Minister Daw Naw Pan Thinzar Myo for Karen Affairs said Tuesday at Yangon Region Parliament session.
MP U Kyaw Zay Ya from Dagon Township asked the parliament when the regional government started renting out cinemas and stalls in Yangon Region and what was the agreement with them. ‘’I want to know the details how many cinemas are in Yangon and how much money the government receives as rental fees,” he said.
Since last year, the Myanmar Motion Picture Development Department has been under the control of the Yangon Region Government. The Yangon Region Government received much money because of the move and it got rental fees for cinemas as part of the Yangon Region budget. But the government is reviewing the rental fees of cinemas and the stalls adjacent to cinemas.
‘’It’s right that we are reviewing the rental fees and analyse the earnings of stalls and we hope that we will fix the agreement and rental rate very soon,” said Planning and Finance Minister U Myint Thaung. There were many cinemas, actors and actress, producers and distributors in Yangon. According to U Kyaw Zaya, the Myanmar Motion Picture Development Department (MMPDD) hopes to get K300 million for 2017-2018 fiscal year.
‘’MMPDD got millions of kyat from video operation and film license, cinemas and stalls. As I learned a stall close to Thamada Cinema, the rental fee was about K10 million per year. So I asked the government about the rental fees,” said U Kyaw Zaya.
In Yangon Region, there were 14 cinemas and rents are usually long-term with the confirmation of Myanmar Investment Commission and permission of Ministry of Information. They are in Kyauktada, Lanmadaw, Mayangone, Insein, North Okkalapa, Shwe Pyi Thar, Hlaing Tharyar and Thanlyin.
‘’According to the direction of Ministry of Information, starting from 2013, all cinemas change the DCP system and all cost must be charge from the side of companies. “After changing the DCP, the government was to rent to the companies for five years.
If operation was developed in this term, the company can extend the lease for two years again,” said Daw Naw Pan Thinazar Myo. To fix the rental fee for cinemas according to the current rate, the Yangon Region Government group discussed with the Ministry of Planning and Finance on August 30 about implementing upgrade for the rest of cinemas. ‘’For example, Thamada Cinema, the new rate is K5.2 million after analyzing the rent rate from Ministry of Planning and Finance. We also reviewed for Shae Saung, Nay Pyi Taw, Thwin, Waziyar, etc., and also having the increased the rate for some cinemas.
But the government is still reviewing rental fees for the stalls,” she said. In Myanmar, there is a total of 27 state owned cinemas and 94 cinemas which has been already sold out to private companies and they are operating with digital system. The private companies, Mingalar, Royal Mega Ace, JCV, and Paradiso Cinemas Co., Ltd., are operating around the country and Ministry of Information is supporting them. But they are not under control of Ministry of Information any more.
On August 29, Myanmar Investment Commission permitted Paradiso Cinemas Co., Ltd., to construct its own cinemas in Mawlamyine in Mon State and Pyinmana township in Mandalay Region in a joint venture with foreign investors. Like cinemas, the government will analyze the rental fee for Yangon Zoological Garden and HlawGar Garden, said U Myint Thaung.
Source : Myanmar Times
