The entertainment tax structure in the country will be relaxed after it is brought under the common head of Goods and Services Tax (GST), Minister for Information and Broadcasting (I&B) Ambika Soni said here on Thursday.
Talking to journalists after inaugurating an NFDC Film Bazaar at the International Film Festival of India (IFFI), 2011, here on the second day of the festival, Ms. Soni admitted that there had been a long-standing demand by filmmakers to lower the entertainment tax structure.
However, being a State subject, the tax varied from State to State.
She felt the GST would allow the Centre to have a uniform tax on entertainment.
Stating that India was open to entering into co-production treaties with various countries that had a tradition of filmmaking, the Minister said India was open to signing memoranda of understanding with such countries.
She, however, ruled out financing such projects.
Asserting that the National Film Division Corporation (NFDC) had a bigger role to play in the industry, the Minister said the stress was being given to help the NFDC.
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