New working committee of NEMPA formed

By A Staff Reporter Katmandu, June 28: Nepal Motion Picture Association (NEMPA) has formed a 17-member working committee.

The first formal meeting of the association held at its office in Kathmandu on Monday constituted the new working committee under the chairmanship of Birendra Narayan Shrestha. Shrestha was elected as the chairman of the association unopposed from the 47th general assembly held in the capital on June 4.

From the first official meeting, chairman Shrestha has unanimously appointed immediate past chairman Madhusudan Pradhan, first vice chairman Kuber Sharma, second vice chairman Gopal Kaji Kayastha, third vice chairman Bhaskar Dhungana, general secretary Narendra Maharjan, deputy general secretary Om Jaishi and treasurer Kapil Prasad Dwa in the working committee.

Likewise, Mijash Pokhrel, Niraj Karki, Govindra Bahadur Shahi, Chaitanya Baral, Yuv Raj Prasai, Prajwal Shamsher JBR,  Surendra Kumar Thapa, Raj Kumar Shrestha and Diprasha Shakya are appointed the members of the association. 

Regarding the new plan and policy of the association, chairman Shrestha said that he has become the chairman of the association in a very critical situation when the film sector has badly marred by the COIVD- 19 pandemic. He hoped that he and the members of the committee would work for the revival of the film industry affected by the pandemic. 

He urged the government to give exemption in electricity demand charges and tax exemption for five years to revive the film industry.

Similarly, Gopal Kaji Kayastha, second vice chairman of the association, said that the government has not yet waived the demand fee for electricity, adding that the government should help for the promotion and revival of the film industry.

Newly appointed general secretary of the association Narendra Maharjan said that he would work with all the organisations related to film for the upliftment of Nepali film industry during his tenure.

“We have been lobbying the government to revive the industry after the wake of the COVID- 19 pandemic, and although the government has addressed some of our demands, it has not supported this industry as was expected,” said Maharjan. 

  He said that even though the film industry is in the list of industrial sector, only film production has got the value of the industry.

“The government has not given equal priority to film distribution and exhibition,” he said, urging the government to include film distribution and exhibition in the industry sector.

Immediate past chairman Madhusudan Pradhan said that although the film industry was worst affected sector, the government did not support it like other industries. He also said the government should waive the service tax.