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In May 1998, at the request of the
then Fiji High Commissioner to Australia, H.E. Mr Isikeli U.
Mataitoga, Australian film and television producer, Philip Gerlach,
prepared a strategy for Fiji's entry into the global audio visual
production and distribution industry.
The Fiji Audio Visual Consortium
(the consortium), the principals of which were Australian
businessmen, Philip Gerlach, Frank Yourn and Lyndon Driscoll and
Fiji Islander businessman Keni Dakuidreketi, was established soon
after as a result of an initial positive response to the
initiative by a number of government ministers.
The consortium worked with three
consecutive governments over the period from October 1998 to
December 2001, on research, policy, the development of financial
models and preparation of issues papers for the development of the
audio visual industry in Fiji and a "City" tax
free zone.
The consortium, working in an
advisory capacity with a specially formed government task force
and appropriate ministries, assisted with the provision to Cabinet
of the following draft legislation or amendments: -
- Revisions to the Income Tax
Act for the audio visual industry;
- Revisions to the
Cinematographic Films Act;
- An Act for the establishment
of a Government agency, the Fiji Audio Visual Commission (FAVC).
As a result of the commitment of
the consortium, the Government Task Force, the Fiji Trade and
Investment Board and numerous Government departments key, relevant
legislation was passed by Government Act in 2002. The legislative
base included:
- World's Best Practice tax
incentives for financing audio visual productions and a tax
free business and residential 'City' zone;
- New copyright and anti-piracy
legislation;
- Establishment of the Fiji
Audio Visual Commission (FAVC), a Government body set up to
regulate and promote the industry.
The government and the consortium
had identified land and foreshore on the northeast coast of Viti
Levu for development of a key aspect of the legislation, the
proposed residential 'City Tax Free Zone'.
By July 2004 all the leases for
the land and foreshore of the designated site had been signed by
government and the Native Lands Trust Board, on behalf of relevant
native title owners, for a period of 99 years.
The land was then declared a
Yaqara Rural Town Planning Area approved and gazetted as
the 'exclusive audio visual tax free zone'.
The consortium transferred its
rights to the land, and all copyright in intellectual property
associated with this proposal, to a Fiji registered company,
formerly Paradise Entertainment Limited (PEL) and commenced the
process of developing Fiji's audio visual industry precinct,
Yaqara City. |
