Latest news with #CMPA
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Ottawa film studios worry Trump's threatened tariffs could mean the end
Some Ottawa film studios are concerned that U.S. President Donald Trump's threatened tariffs on foreign films could spell the end for their industry within months. On Sunday, Trump posted on his social media platform Truth Social that "the movie industry in America is dying a very fast death," and authorized the Department of Commerce to initiate the process for imposing tariffs on films produced outside the U.S. Shane Boucher, president and CEO of Ottawa-based film studio 1Department Entertainment Services, said he found Trump's comments upsetting. "We've been working with the U.S. for many years," Boucher said. "The studio can literally cease to function in a matter of months if we don't have enough productions that are booked." ADVERTISEMENT Boucher's studio handles between eight and 15 small- to mid-size productions a year, with 90 per cent of those projects coming from American clients. According to Boucher, the combined budget for those films totals $20 to $30 million a year. Without further details, Boucher said he can't definitively predict how the proposed tariffs will affect his business, but he fears the threat alone could force some companies to hit pause on projects. "That pause can be just as detrimental as the final effect," Boucher said. In a statement released Monday, the Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA) said that while details are "far from clear" at this point, the steps outlined by Trump — if they come to pass — would cause "significant disruption and economic hardship" to producers on both sides of the border. "The uncertainty it has caused underscore[s] the incredible importance of ensuring that Canada has a strong, independent domestic media industry," CMPA president Reynolds Mastin said in the statement. Ottawa film commissioner Sandrine Pechels de Saint Sardos says she did not lose any sleep over Trump's threatened tariffs, but would like more details. (Nicole Williams/CBC) Ottawa's film commissioner, Sandrine Pechels de Saint Sardos, said she's not panicking given the derth of details. ADVERTISEMENT "Sunday night I slept very well," she said. Trump's post didn't include any specific details about how the tariffs would be applied or carried out. He alleged other countries were making a "concerted effort" to lure American filmmakers away from the States. Boucher and Pechels de Saint Sardos both pointed out that the industry is globally intertwined, far beyond the studios and sound stages of Hollywood. Pechels de Saint Sardos said 80 per cent of big productions like Fast & Furious are filmed overseas, while Boucher pointed to the Mission Impossible franchise, which is filmed in various locations around the world. "The industry thrives on being this kind of multicultural, universal industry," Boucher said. The threat of tariffs follows what has already been a difficult period for the film industry. The COVID-19 pandemic led to significant revenue losses at the box office, and many companies are still recovering from the 2023 Hollywood writers' strike that saw several productions delayed or suspended indefinitely. ADVERTISEMENT Despite the global slowdown, the Ottawa film industry contributed to 11 Christmas movies for Hallmark and Netflix in 2024, according to Pechels de Saint Sardos. Pechels de Saint Sardos said she's currently assessing the industry in Ottawa, but estimates it includes some 600 production crew members and 40 companies covering animation, TV and film, earning it about $50 million a year. To those companies and their employees, the film commissioner's advice is: Don't panic and keep a cool head.
CBC
06-05-2025
- Business
- CBC
After Trump vows tariffs on foreign movies, the Canadian film industry says he's lost the plot
Trump threatens Canadian film industry with 100% foreign movie tariffs 6 hours ago Duration 1:48 Social Sharing U.S. President Donald Trump says he wants to impose a 100 per cent tariff on movies produced outside the country, a move that could devastate the Canadian film landscape — but experts are scratching their heads over how such a tax would work, given how intertwined the global film industry is. Trump, in a Truth Social post on Sunday night, said he directed the Department of Commerce and the U.S. Trade Representative to "immediately begin the process" of imposing the tariff. He hasn't signed an executive order, and the White House said on Monday that no final decisions had been made. Other countries "are offering all sorts of incentives to draw out filmmakers and studios away from the United States," Trump wrote. "Hollywood, and many other areas within the U.S.A., are being devastated," he went on, framing it as a matter of national security. Asked if he'd float the issue during his meeting with Prime Minister Mark Carney on Tuesday, Trump responded that Canada is "only one of many countries" that uses tax incentives to lure U.S. film productions. WATCH | 'We will stand with our film industry,' says B.C. premier: B.C. Premier speaks on Trump's threatened tariff on movies made outside U.S. 14 hours ago Duration 10:08 The BC Government is warning about more possible chaos as a result of comments from US president Donald Trump. Trump has said he's interested in Canada becoming the 51st state, and recently talked tariffs being levied on films made outside the US. Premier David Eby says the comments are a red flag. He offered few details on what this latest plank in his tariff regime would entail, or how it would be executed — including whether it would impact co-productions, or films made entirely abroad and exhibited in the U.S., not to mention those that appear on streaming services and at film festivals. Greg Denny, a Canadian film producer whose most recent credits include The Apprentice, a biopic about Trump that was partially shot in Toronto, says movies are rarely the product of a single country. WATCH | Trump 'just unbelievable,' Ford says: Ford responds to Trump's tariff threats on non-U.S. movies 13 hours ago Duration 0:25 Ontario Premier Doug Ford is calling out U.S. President Donald Trump after he ordered new tariffs on movies made outside the United States. Speaking to reporters on Monday, Ford said Trump is going after the entire world and called the president 'unbelievable.' "We're not creating a good here. We're creating a movie. How do you put a tariff on top of that?" he asked. "This is many countries working together at all times, creating footage and content... It's not really something I see you can put a tariff on." The announcement also drew swift rebukes from the Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA) and the Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists (ACTRA), the actors' union. B.C. Premier David Eby called the proposal "incredibly hard to understand," while Ontario's Doug Ford lamented that it's "something new with [Trump]" every day. Why Hollywood goes north Like other parts of its economy, Canada's film industry is deeply intertwined with that of its southern neighbour. Oscar-winners like Titanic, The Revenant and Juno were all filmed at least partly on Canadian soil; and Hollywood filmmakers from Guillermo Del Toro to Christopher Nolan have shot multiple movies here. That means Canada is also vulnerable to crises that originate in Hollywood, like the 2023 Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA strikes, which further wounded an industry still recovering from pandemic-related shutdowns. Canada is highly appealing to U.S. film producers, according to experts. The filmmaking workforce is highly skilled, but costs less to pay, and Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Calgary and Halifax are frequently used as stand-ins for other cities in the U.S., Europe and Asia. U.S. film production creates 30,000 jobs and has a $2.6 billion economic impact in Toronto alone, according to Mayor Olivia Chow. Most importantly, the federal government offers a 16 per cent refundable tax credit, which is used to attract foreign productions from Hollywood and elsewhere to Canada. Provinces also have their own tax incentives, some of which — like Ontario's — can be harmonized with the federal credit. B.C., meanwhile, announced just a few months ago that it would up its production tax incentives, and give a $2 billion bonus to productions that spend big in the province. CBC News reached out to several major U.S. studios for their reaction, but none have responded. Trump said on Monday that he'd meet with the industry to discuss the proposal. "I'm not looking to hurt the industry. I want to help," he said. "I want to make sure they're happy with it because we're all about jobs." 'The consumer still wants to consume' Charlie Keil, professor at the University of Toronto's Cinema Studies Institute, says a U.S. film industry exodus from Canada would have a "devastating impact" on the domestic sector. But it's hard to know how a tariff like the one Trump is proposing would be imposed, and to which movies it would apply. "There's a whole spectrum here, between films that are primarily made in the U.S. but might have some post-production work done in another country, to films that are entirely made by another country," he said. There's also the question of who would absorb the cost of the tariff. After years of price hikes and hidden junk fees, a more expensive movie ticket likely wouldn't fly with audiences, says Keil. That would mean theatre owners would eat the cost themselves or split it with a distributor, which would make production itself more expensive. Retaliatory tariffs would further complicate things, given that the global box office is deeply important to the success of a blockbuster, Keil notes. And what about U.S. streaming services? Netflix, for example, has seen success with foreign-made content — being the primary distributor for Oscar fare like Spain's Society of the Snow and South Korea's Okja. Noah Segal, the co-president of the Toronto-based film distributor Elevation Pictures, says major streamers are unlikely to get on board with Trump's proposal. "I think that they want to get localized content going because they know there's certain [niches] that they can't get through American content," he said. However, if a U.S. tariff is imposed globally on other filmmaking countries, Segal argues that it could be a boon for Canada's domestic industry. "If there's less content, the consumer still wants to consume as much as the consumer wants to consume. So therefore, it may be a great opportunity for Canadian content, Canadian culture and Canadian industry," he said.
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
How Trump's '51st State' Jibes Made Culture, Media & The CBC A Key Battleground For Canada's Future
Canada goes to the polls on April 28, and when its TV production community hits the voting booths, they'll be doing so with a sense of renewed optimism. That's all down to an unexpected source: Donald Trump. A few months ago, Conservative party leader Pierre Poilievre was expecting a big majority win, maybe even a landslide, as favor turned against Justin Trudeau and his left-leaning Liberals. Poilievre had made clear he would enact wide-scale change at the CBC and target other cultural institutions that didn't fit with his Trump-lite version of right-wing politics. Voters broadly seemed to like it. More from Deadline Canada's Bell Media & Fox Entertainment Global Developing Emily VanCamp Series 'Prejudice' About Sex Worker-Turned-Litigator Most Canadian Thing Ever: Election TV Debate Rescheduled For Hockey Game Counterfeit Pictures Hires Just For Laughs' Blake Gregory As Production Chief For Audio Arm Now, with less than two weeks until voting, it is the Liberals that appear set for a majority, thanks to a surge of patriotism born out of President Trump's goading of the U.S.'s northern neighbor and his plans to turn it into the '51st state.' The Conservative lead has crumbled and even Trump himself seems to have accepted Carney as his Canadian counterpart, recently saying a Liberal leader would be 'easier to deal with.' Usually, culture and media play a very small part in deciding how elections are won. However, sources we've spoken to across the Canadian production sector point to several factors that have made the 2025 race a different story. Almost all unanimously say Conservative threats to tear up cultural institutions just as Trump aggressively seeks to recalibrate America's relationship with Canada, whether through tariffs or other actions, led to culture becoming a real battleground – and it's a battle the Liberals are winning easily. Carney has pledged to protect CBC/Radio-Canada, increase its budget by C$150M ($110M), strengthen local news output and promote both English- and French-language media. It seems a smart move: A Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA) poll from earlier this week showed 91% of Canadians believe Canadian culture and identity must be protected, especially 'in contrast to the influence of the United States.' The survey also revealed that nearly 60% would support a political party that champions Canadian identity by backing the cultural industries. Only 3% said it would make them less likely to do so. 'The Liberal Party's campaign commitment to support CBC/Radio-Canada sends a strong message to Canadians that a properly funded and sustainable national public broadcaster is a key ballot issue,' says Marla Boltman, Executive Director of Friends of Canadian Media. 'Protecting longstanding Canadian institutions and strengthening our national public broadcaster is something that everyone in the country should support,' says Reynolds Mastin, President and CEO of the CMPA. 'As the single largest commissioner of independently-produced Canadian content, CBC/Rdio-Canada plays a significant role in the domestic industry, telling our stories and promoting Canadian cultural identity.' On the contrary, because of Poilievre's pledge to defund the CBC, Boltman calls a potential Conservative win 'nothing short of a disaster for the millions of Canadians who rely on CBC/Radio Canada, and for the overwhelming majority who want Canada to remain a strong, sovereign country with a distinct culture and robust democracy.' That sentiment appears to be the winning the argument right now. One senior unscripted producer says the 'worst-case scenario' would be a minority Conservative victory, with parties further right of Poilievre's politics propping up a coalition. This would see CBC/Radio Canada under immense pressure, but the likelihood of it happening seems remote now, with the Liberals likely to win outright, according to most polling. CBC/Radio-Canada declined to comment on the parties' policies for this article. How did we get here? John Brunton, founder and CEO of Big Brother Canada and The Amazing Race Canada producer Insight Productions, recalls how prior to Trump's second presidency, producers had decided to look across the border or overseas. 'Leading into this election, there was worry in Canada that [Poilievre's potential] new government wasn't as concerned about Canadian culture as the previous Liberal government had been,' he says. 'Support for the CBC was in jeopardy and you could see a trend moving quite aggressively towards the Conservative Party, so we made the strategic decision to start growing our relationships in the U.S. with the likes of Amazon, Netflix and Apple.' Dan Bennett, partner at The Office Movers maker Counterfeit Pictures, adds that producers were preparing for 'seismic changes' under the Poilievre government 'for the past 18 months,' and had been 'strategizing to the point where the CMPA hired a former Conservative Minister of Heritage to consult with us.' However, when Trudeau decided to pass the torch to Carney and Trump's attacks began turning public sentiment, 'in terms of Canadian cultural issues, there was suddenly a very bright light at the end of a very dark tunnel,' Insight's Brunton adds. 'The last time I felt this degree of nationalism was in 1967 when we had the world trade fair and the Toronto Maple Leafs won the Stanley Cup.' 'Trump's actions and rhetoric were the wrong thing at the right time,' says Friends of Canadian Media's Boltman. 'Up until his recent unprovoked attacks, we seemed to have forgotten the lessons from the past that taught us that failure to protect our culture and identity is a recipe for foreign domination.' This has all had a direct correlation with upturns in TV advertising, says Brunton, whose company makes the likes of Top Chef. 'When there have been complications in the past, quite often big American companies stop advertising in Canada and advertising becomes a little bit more cautious, but I'm actually seeing the reverse of that right now, at least on our shows. There's been an aggressive approach to encouraging Canadians to buy Canadian products and marketing Canadian brands that stimulate the Canadian marketplace. I'm a lot more optimistic than I was a month ago.' Luke Hutchie, showrunner and co-star of CBC comic paranormal series Ghosting with Luke Hutchie and Matthew Finlan, concurs. 'One hundred per cent, there has been a shift in feeling,' he says. 'Canada has been the U.S.'s side chick forever, but now more than ever people are sinking their teeth into Canadian content and rooting for Canadians in a way that's way more mainstream than before.' John Morayniss, CEO of the Toronto- and L.A.-based Blink49 Studios, says there has been a 'material, visible change in how Canadians are expressing their cultural identity.' He can barely recall a time where he's more Canadian t-shirts and caps at LAX's arrivals terminal – surely a sign of the times. Reflecting Canadian values It's no secret that – broadly – creative types skew left politically. There is, however, indignation among Canadian media players that mirrors the public's feelings of betrayal and anger toward Trump's government. There's now a growing sense that a better-funded CBC/Radio-Canada will be able to better reflect and protect Canadian values. 'Canada is the biggest importer of U.S. shows per year, and that probably won't change, but now what we're seeing is an understanding of the importance of storytelling and the cultural significance of stories that connect Canadians.' As a supporter of the CBC, Blink49's Morayniss would welcome an increase in the pubcaster's budget and the opportunity to produce more content, but he warns that future-proofing is vital, both at the pubcaster and other funding institutions such as the Canadian Film Center, where he is a board member. 'The thing that hasn't happened is investment in creative talent,' he says. 'Whether you're a small producer, mid-sized production company or a big studio to certain extent you become infrastructure and a facilitator to help, support and ensure those Canadian stories get made, but that all starts with the creatives. The problem is if we don't invest in those creators at earliest possible stage, they will leave. It's really easy to go to New York or L.A.' That may or may not continue to be true, as one scripted producer tells Deadline that a Canadian cast member in their show who lives in the U.S. is getting 'more and more harassed every time they cross the border' and that they 'don't know if they want to stay there or come back north.' Where the cash will go Reaching the creator community is possible, adds Morayniss. Notably, Fifth Season-backed Blink49, which makes the likes of The Braxtons and Toya & Reginae for WeTV and Queen of the Castle for Canada's CTV, was the Canadian co-producer on MrBeast's Beast Games reality series on Prime Video. 'With his status and market penetration, did MrBeast need to do an Amazon series? It shows that there is still a desire to make longer form programs,' says Morayniss. While on the subject of Prime Video and its global streamer counterparts, there is hope that the 5% streaming levy outlined as part of the divisive Bill C-11 will finally be brought into being (though this will further antagonize Trump, who has rallied against foreign taxes on American companies). 'For almost a decade, foreign streaming giants made billions from Canadian subscribers while paying nothing towards the systems and structures that protect our cultural sovereignty and allow Canadian storytelling to thrive,' says Friends of Canadian Media's Boltman. 'Now that our government has passed legislation requiring the streamers to contribute equitably to our broadcasting system, they need to stand down and accept that we are a sovereign country with sovereign laws.' Producers are supportive, but broadly take a more measured and analytical line, with Counterfeit's Bennett saying: 'Bill C-11 would have been thrown out by the Conservatives. Trump has targeted it as a sore spot, so it's in suspended animation and the streamers are still on the sidelines.' As for the future, there's no telling what Trump might do next, and while his tariffs do not impact Canada's films, TV shows and digital content, which are classed as services rather than goods, the CMPA's Mastin says TV and film makers need to remain on their guard. 'The current situation reinforces the importance of building a thriving domestic media production sector that is not dependent on foreign companies.' Local production companies are hoping that CBC/Radio Canada opens more slots for new programs post-election, and that the likes of Bell Media 'double down on Canada,' as one producer puts it. As Bell boss Sean Cohan recently told Deadline that the commercial broadcaster was planning to take more Canadian content out globally. 'The next six to twelve months are really about hoping that shelf space opens up for another production to go forwards,' adds Counterfeit's Bennett, whose companies is also pushing hard into audio production with new hires as a means of driving new revenues. International co-productions are priorities for companies including Counterfeit and Insight, which is set to become part of local content giant Blue Ant Media as part of a deal for Boat Rocker Media's unscripted business. Insight continues to work on Eurovision Canada, and there are hopes that a Liberal election win will reinvigorate CBC/Radio Canada further, with rumors of a local version of UK comedy entertainment format Taskmaster the word from several sources. 'I'm very excited about the atmosphere at the CBC,' says one major Canadian producer. 'It was a very sad place last fall, looking at extreme cuts, but now the people in management have a renewed sense of purpose with the increased nationalism in Canada – it has really enhanced their brand. There is a general enthusiasm and a lot of rumors about new shows they are making.' 'There's an understanding the value of the CBC is maybe more important now than ever,' adds Insight's Brunton, who is currently making a Canadian version of Jersey Shore for Paramount+, while Hutchie, whose company Luke Hutchie Productions is gearing up for Ghosting Season 2, says: 'The CBC knows the importance of making content that represents Canada, even in the current environment.' Boltman from Friends of Canadian Media calls it 'absolutely critical that the next government support the entire Canadian media ecosystem, with CBC/Radio Canada at its core,' saying, 'Its programming helps unite us as a country and builds community across the vast distances that separate us. As the only media organization in the country mandated to serve all Canadians no matter where they live, CBC/Radio Canada centres a multiplicity of voices and perspectives, which is essential for a healthy democracy.' Let's see if the country truly does agree when the ballot booths open on April 28. The world, Trump included, will be watching. Best of Deadline 'Ransom Canyon' Soundtrack: All The Songs You'll Hear In The New Netflix Western Romance Series Everything We Know About 'Emily In Paris' Season 5 So Far Everything We Know About Ryan Coogler's 'Sinners': From The Themes To How It Was Shot
Yahoo
14-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Canadians Want Political Support For CBC & Creative Industries As Surge Of Nationalism Follows Trump Threats
A wave of Canadian national pride that has resulted fro Donald Trump's '51st state' jibes is extending to its TV and film sectors, it appears. Deadline has seen an advanced preview of polling released today by the Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA), which reveals 91% of Canadians believe Canadian culture and identity must be protected, especially 'in contrast to the influence of the United States.' Furthermore, those polled want local content to be controlled by Canadians, rather than U.S. companies. More from Deadline Bell Media Acquires Majority Stake In Sphere Abacus: Distribution Move Comes Alongside 'Northern Lights' Programming Push Canadian & French Producer Bodies Begin Co-Production Mission At Series Mania 'Comedy InvAsian' Preps Season 3 As Co-Creator Quentin Lee Gears Up For France-Canada Lab At Series Mania Ahead of the snap election called by Justin Trudeau earlier this year, just under two-thirds (58%) said they would support a political party that champions Canadian identity by backing the cultural industries. Only 3% said it would make them less likely to do so. That finding, in theory, plays into the hands of the ruling Liberal Party, which earlier this month pledged to invest an initial C$150M ($108M) in extra funding into CBC/Radio Canada should it be re-elected. As with many other western countries, producers in Canada tend to skew left politically. Sources we've spoken to in the country over recent weeks are almost unilaterally voting Liberal. At one point, it appeared the right-wing opposition leader Pierre Poilievre would sweep to power after support for Trudeau's Liberal Party collapsed. However, a wave of nationalism arose following Trump's trade tariffs and threat to incorporate Canada into the U.S. This has led to what feels like it could be a much closer election amid growing support for the Liberal Party, which is now led by Mark Carney. Notably, only 15% of likely Conservative Party voters said there was no reason to protect Canadian culture and identity over the influence of the U.S., with just 5% of Liberals saying the same. Today's polling, conducted by Abacus Data and based on results from 1,800 Canadians between March 31 and April 3, highlights the shift in feeling across the country, as Canada deals with the fallout from Trump's actions since becoming President in January. Trump's tariffs strategy has softened in recent days as he has implemented a 90-day pause on countries hit with the highest levies. He froze the baseline 10% global tax in Mexico and Canada but posturing has clearly struck a nerve with Canadian citizens. Other notable lines in the CMPA's poll show 83% want to see more investment in Canadian-made TV, film and digital content with higher production values, 87% agree Canada's cultural identity is worth protecting, 86% believe the government should actively support cultural and creative industries through direct funding and tax credits, 90% agree Canadian content should be owned and controlled by Canadian companies rather than U.S. studios, and 86% want to see pubcaster the CBC producing content that reflects the country's history. Some 72% of Canadians would also prefer to watch locally-made TV, film and digital content. 'These numbers confirm that Canadians want to see their perspectives represented on screen, and will strongly support a government that champions content that is produced and owned by Canadians,' said Reynolds Mastin, President and CEO of the CMPA. 'Canadians cherish our distinct identity, and firmly believe it should be defended at home and promoted on screens around the world.' Best of Deadline 2025-26 Awards Season Calendar: Dates For Tonys, Emmys, Oscars & More A Full Timeline Of Blake Lively & Justin Baldoni's 'It Ends With Us' Feud In Court, Online & In The Media 'Hacks' Season 4 Release Schedule: When Do New Episodes Come Out?
Express Tribune
25-03-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
Land transaction service to be franchised
Public outcry in Canada as Google Maps removing the state owned building on Canada's digital maps. PHOTO: PEXELS The Punjab Land Records Authority (PLRA) Board has approved proposals for the introduction of a franchising model, restructuring of Arazi Record Centres (ARCs) and the procurement of a digital authentication service. In a meeting, the board deferred a proposal to acquire additional land for expanding the authority's head office in Lahore. PLRA Chairman Chaudhry Tariq Subhani, speaking to The Express Tribune on Tuesday, stated that the board's agenda focused on initiatives aligned with the authority's long-term strategy to enhance efficiency, security and accessibility in land-related services. He highlighted that one of the most significant approvals was for the CNIC-MSISDN Pairing Authentication Service (CMPA), a digital security mechanism that verifies citizens' mobile phone number against their computerised national identity card (CNIC). The system is expected to bolster security, prevent unauthorised access to sensitive land records and facilitate new service initiatives such as the franchising model. It was decided that the Pakistan MNP Database (PMD) Guarantee Limited will provide the service, ensuring that only verified users can access land records through their registered mobile numbers. Under the agreement, the first 10 million transactions will be processed at a fixed rate of Rs15 per transaction, with no price escalation for three years. Beyond this limit, transaction costs will increase gradually over the contract period. Additionally, the PLRA Board mandated the use of a registered mobile number for all land record services, with exceptions granted on a case-by-case basis by designated officers. Another major decision was the approval of a One-Go Service Model for Arazi Record Centres, designed to streamline the land transaction process. Currently, citizens must visit multiple counters for services such as obtaining copies of land records or processing property mutations. Under the new model, a single transferring officer will handle all steps, including biometric verification, payment processing and service issuance, at a single counter. This restructuring aims to reduce wait times, eliminate unnecessary delays and improve the overall customer experience. The board approved a pilot implementation at selected ARCs in key districts, including Lahore, Faisalabad, Sheikhupura and Jhang. The board also approved the PLRA Franchising of Services Regulations, 2025, which will allow private franchises to offer Punjab Land Records Authority services in exchange for a licensing fee. This initiative is expected to enhance public accessibility by increasing the number of service outlets across the province while reducing government operational costs. Additionally, it is projected to generate revenue and stimulate local economic growth by creating employment and investment opportunities. Under the plan, franchise fees will be categorised into platinum, gold and silver tiers. PLRA employees who resign to establish a franchise will be exempt from franchise fees for the first three years.
