By Taonga Sesani
BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)-Film actors have poured cold water on the national budget saying it offers nothing for the industry.
Ezius Mkandawire, President for Film Association of Malawi has told Maravi Post the national budget has no vote for the creative industry.
Mkandawire however said it was disappointing to note government has done nothing to cushion artists in the face of Covid-19 in spite of earlier commitments to help.
“We expect something better in the budget but yet there’s no vote, the creative sector has been also hit hard by the covid-19 pandemic as the government issued a ban on gatherings of more than 100 people and this has led to the artists struggling,” he said
Mkandawire further said the country’s creative industry suffers from lack of recognition and that there where no funded festivals and space among others.
Some of the areas that Mkandawire said they presented to the government included operationalize of Blantyre culture centre and introduction of funding of the art associations.
Minister of Finance, economic, planning and development Joseph Mwanamvekha presented a MK2.023 trillion budget which offers some tax Liberalizations to Malawians in the view of Covid-19 pandemic