10-01-2010

Romania's new minister of culture promises more film funding

By Iulia Blaga

    Romania's new minister of culture, Kelemen Hunor, will intervene in the government's 2009 annulment of a 4% tax on gambling profits directed to the Cinema Fund.

    The ordinance, approved by the Government in June 2009, stated that the Romanian Lottery, casinos and other games of chance were exempted from the obligation to give a percentage of their profits to the Cinema Fund and to historical monument restorations.

    The Romanian Lottery gave its share to the Cinema Fund in 2007, but contributed nothing in 2008. The Cinema Fund also suffered decreases when the National Television (www.tvr.ro) was late in paying its share, the ad market dropped, and the state made no contribution to the Cinema Fund in 2007.

    Hunor said he plans to talk with his collegues from the Government in order to convince them of finding a long term solution. "I will insist to return to the time when the Romanian Lottery was a serious contributor to the Cinema Fund and the historical monuments restoration," he said.