"Entertainment industry has become weak"

The film industry in South India has become weak due to various issues, including implementation of GST and censorship, which need to be immediately addressed, the South Indian film chamber of commerce said here today.

"The industry has become weak. The immediate requirement is to focus on problems pertaining to the industry.. GST, censorship, video piracy...," film producer and former president of the chamber C Kalyan said here.

He said the chamber welcomed the idea of GST, but alleged that genuine taxpayers were losing out following its implementation

The censorship issue was also a huge problem as a producer has to wait for 60 days to get certification after filing an application.
 

Video piracy was eating into the revenues of the industry as illegal download of movies were being done through internet, he said

Chamber President L Suresh suggested that the government reduce GST for movie tickets priced upto Rs 200 to 12 per cent (from 18 per cent) and 18 per cent for those tickets priced above Rs 200, which now attract 25 per cent GST.

Actor-politician Sarath Kumar said the industry lost nearly 30 per cent of revenues every year due to piracy.

Responding to the issues raised by the members, Minister of State for PMO, Dr Jitendra Singh invited them to discuss their grievances with Information and Broadcasting Minister Smriti Irani in New Delhi.

On Goods and Service Tax issue, he said he could arrange a meeting with Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.

He recalled that during campaigning for BJP in the run up to the Gujarat polls, he had arranged for textile merchants who had raised concerns on GST, to meet Jaitley.

They were "fully satisfied" after raising their issues during the meeting, he claimed.