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| Sunday, 12 March 2006 |
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Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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Whopping tax on Hollywood, Bollywood movies in the air End of the world for TV addicts? By Aditha Dissanayake Imagine eight o' clock at night without Mahagedera. Nine, without Praveena. Nine thirty without Chithi. Saturdays and Sundays without blockbuster Hindi movies.
Confirming the fears that a tax will definitely be imposed on foreign movies and TV programs, R. T. L. Weerasinghe, Senior Tax Advisor, at the Treasury says "Adhering to the budget proposals for this year a tax will be imposed on imported movies, dramas and sitcoms. A fund will direct the income to develop the local film industry". He sees this as a step not only in earning revenue but as a way of protecting the local entertainment industry. How much the tax would be and what programs would be exempted will be decided before April 1. Would this mean a drastic cut on the imported movies and teledramas which have almost the entire nation hooked to their TV sets be it in Colombo or in remote Serukelley, from eight to ten in the night on all week days? Hema Nalin Karunaratne, speaking on behalf of Swarnawahini and ETV, which according to him do not import teledramas and only good quality foreign movies says that a tax levied on "bad foreign programs" is welcome as this would prevent "rubbish from being aired". Giving Malgudi Days, which was aired on Rupavahini sometime ago, as an example, Karunaratne says good quality programs of this calibre should be exempted from the tax. In his view what the entertainment industry needs at the moment is not really a tax but a censor board to monitor the quality of not only the foreign TV programs but the local programs as well. As for the steps taken by his TV station about the tax, he says even though it is too early to make a clear decision they will probably continue to import good quality foreign programs whether there is a tax or not. Upali Ranjitha, DGM, Marketing of the Independent Television Network says they are waiting for instructions from above. "The government has not instructed us yet about what action we should take regarding foreign programs once the tax is imposed. We will follow instructions as and when they come". Top brass of Sirasa TV and the MTV who would be drastically affected by the tax, politely refused to comment on whether they would cut down on the number of imported teledramas or not. What will happen if the private television stations succumb under the weight of the tax and curb popular Hindi movies and teledramas dubbed in Sinhala or with Sinhala subtitles? How will the evenings be spent? What will happen on Saturdays and Sundays? For 90% of the nation, the end of the world seems to be round the corner. |
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| Produced by Lake House |
Is this really going to happen? asks TV addicts in tones mixed with
wonder and dismay. "How will we know if Thulsi will ever patch things up
with her husband? How will we know what happens to Praveena? How are we
going to spend Saturday and Sunday afternoons? 
