Theatres in Kerala remain closed, despite the government’s approval.
Cinema owners in Kerala have demanded additional entertainment tax to be waived along with letting go of the fixed electricity costs.
Key points:
1. Cinemas in Kerala given the nod to reopen, theatre-owners demand waiver of tax and electricity.
2. Even after remaining closed for 10 months, theatres in Kerala have been slapped with the fixed electricity bill.
3. CM Pinarayi Vijayan announced the functioning of cinemas with 50% occupancy.
Tensions scale between Kerala govt. and cinema-owners:
Even though the Kerala authorities green-lit cinemas to reopen on Tuesday, after being closed for months because of the COVID-19 prompted lockdown, theatres remained closed because the movie enterprise desired the government to cope with its needs and worries earlier than resumption.
Kerala Film Chamber and Commerce (KFCC) to hold an emergency meeting:
There are over 1,200 displays in conventional theatres and multiplexes withinside the southern country, which showcase movies. Sources on the Kerala Film Chamber and Commerce (KFCC), an apex frame of the institutions of producers, distributors, and exhibitors, stated it might take a very last choice on reopening of the theatres after its emergency assembly scheduled to be held on January at Kochi.
KFCC demands tax waiver and foregoing of fixed electricity costs:
The enterprise players desired the authorities to cope with a bunch of needs starting from waiving amusement tax to forego constant power costs slapped on theatres although it had remained close for over 10 months. Kerala can be the simplest country in which the amusement tax is amassed similarly to the Goods and Services Tax (GST).
Theatres in Kerala to run with 50% occupancy:
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had closing week introduced that theatres may want to reopen withinside the southern country from January five with 50 percent occupancy and adhering to strict COVID- 19 guidelines. Only 50 percent of the seats must be occupied or simplest 1/2 of the tickets sold, he stated including that the fitness department’s COVID protocol must be strictly followed.
