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NEW DELHI: Amidst an overwhelming sense of dismay, all three
industry bodies are lining up their lobbies to get the demands
of the entertainment and broadcasting industry sewn into the
budget, somehow.
However, the position of sector regulator Trai is not clear
so far on this issue and also, the Indian Broadcasting Foundation
feels that there is no point in lobbying.
The major MSO body, MSO Alliance is also gearing up to impress
upon the government the need for concessions favouring digitalisation
and removing meaningless double-taxation.
So far, senior executives-industrialists have already met
the Finance Minister once but the response to their pleas
is not immediately known.
"There seems to be nothing on the horizon at the moment,"
Bobby Bedi, head of the Confederation of Indian Industry's
entertainment industry committee, told indiantelevision.com.
"We have already met the I&B minister and he is
solidly with us. The problem is the finance minister,"
argued another senior executive, saying that "perhaps
people do not realise that the industry is poised for a quantum
jump.
"There are immense possibilities in the areas of digital
exhibition, outsourcing, post-production, etc., which needs
a boost," Bedi said.
He revealed that the Federation has already taken up lobbying
with members of Parliament on getting some of their crucial
demands met.
Bedi suggested: "We should see some of the concessions
coming up, though maybe not necessarily as the final budget
provisions, but maybe sometime later in the year."
A senior official in the entertainment industry cell of the
Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry also
revealed to indiantelevision.com that they have already started
lobbying with members of Parliament, but would not reveal
their names, saying: "We have a centralises system,"
she said.
The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry in India's
representative Ajay Sharma said that the three chambers had
met the finance minister yesterday already, but would not
discuss what the response of the minister was.
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India has not decided
what course it will take. Responding to a question, RN Choubey,
Trai advisor (Broadcasting and Cable Services) told indiantelevision.com:
"The MSOs had certain suggestions, so we had sent them
the finance ministry, but they had come in late, so the proposals
reached late. By then the major formulations in the budget
must have been sealed."
So is Trai still going to press further and lobby for the
demands being taken up by finance ministry? "Nothing
is ruled out nor ruled in. What Trai is going to do is for
them to decide, and I cannot assume that role."
Roop Sharma, Cable Operators Federation of India president
said: "We have already held a meeting with Assocham,
and we are going to take this issue up seriously, especially
digitalisation and bringing down duties and taxes.
IBF director-finance, Naresh Chahal said: "What do we
do with more lobbying? We had sent so many crucial suggestions
and are dismayed. This has been the position of the government
for the past three years, so I do not think anything will
change by lobbying."
Chahal said, however, some may have a feeling that broadcasters
are all very rich and need no concessions, but that was not
true. There are many small broadcasters who suffer immensely
and there are so many newer ones coming up who need initial
start-up concessions, he reasoned.
Meanwhile, the MSO Alliance is also firming up its plans
and will go with the chambers of commerce and industry.
Ashok Mansukhani, senior official at Incable and a senior
member of the MSOA said: "The government has simply blackballed
the issue of digitalisation, completely ignoring even the
recommendations of the Planning Commission."
He said that MSO and cable TV, as well as broadcasting are
a telecom service issue now, with all of the players regulated
by Trai. "So we cannot be a service and pay service tax,
and then also pay entertainment tax, which the cinema halls
do. Where is the level playing field?" Mansukhani demanded
to know.
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