KOZHIKODE: The state government’s decision to implement software for collection of Entertainment Tax from movie theatres is yet to be implementd due to the objections raised by the theatre owners. Once implemented, the software is expected to bring accountability and increase revenue for civic bodies. At present, the tickets are getting sealed by the civic body after submitting the tax. However, this system has many flaws leading to huge revenue loss to many civic bodies on account of malpractices. The software was initially proposed several months ago with the KELTRON being given responsibility to implement the software.
The software is designed in such a way that when a ticket is issued, the tax amount directly goes to the account of the civic body concerned. The tender was given to a private firm and the order was issued to implement the project from May this year. However, the theatre owners protested the move stating they are not willing to implement it citing the agency is private. The order is now put on hold till November. “We are ready to accept it as a package if the government increases the cess per ticket to Rs 5 with 1.75 paisa each to producers and exhibitors along with the software implemented by a government agency,” said Film Exhibitors Federation President Liberty Basheer.
At present, the Information Kerala Mission was given a direction by the Local self government department to develop a new software. “We are working on the software and planning to conduct a trial in October,” said IKM executive director C.P. Suresh Kumar. It is learnt the IKM would ask the state government to implement the software from December. However, the implementation of the new software may be delayed, if the private company which took tender for the software earlier, approaches the Court.
