Goverment withdraws tax on cinemas

LAHORE: People from the film industry hailed the Punjab government’s decision of withdrawing the recently imposed 65 percent entertainment tax on cinemas.

Representatives of the film industry including producers, film exhibitors, cinema owners and directors called on Chief Minister (CM) Shahbaz Sharif, who assured them that the entertainment tax would be withdrawn. The CM also formed a three-member committee comprising of Farah Deeba, Imran Nazir and Pervez Rasheed to negotiate with the people from the film industry to bring improvements in Lollywood.

Speaking at the press conference, director, producer and film writer Syed Noor said in addition to abolishing the entertainment tax, filmgoers should also be provided with a packet of chips and cold drinks. “We want the film industry to survive. We condemn vulgar films,” he said, adding that the CM had asked who made these vulgar films and why they were not condemned. “We told the CM that there were a few people who made such vulgar films. We assured him that we would snub the filmmakers who make films glorifying dacoits and criminals,” he said.

Revival: He said the CM had assured his support for the revival of the film industry and also formed a committee to ensure its revival. He said the film exhibitors and cinema owners should jointly boycott those movies that were not in accordance with the moral ethics. He said the censor board should categorise the films and should issue a statement or warning to films that were not up to the moral standards.

Pakistan Film Exhibitors Association (PFEA) Chairman Jahanzaib Baig said cinema was an important industry worldwide but in Pakistan it was being sidelined. He said the people considered the film business un-Islamic or immoral and did not invest in it. He said in the current circumstances, DVDs and other entertainment medium have created a lot of awareness in the public. “Now only films that are good do well. Hollywood, Bollywood or Lollywood films can not do business only because of their labels,” he said. He thanked the CM for removing the entertainment tax.

Code of ethics: Film producer Shahzad suggested that the censor board should strictly follow the code of ethics and should not approve films based on vagabonds. He said the producers association had registered a protest against such films.