An online meeting of members of the Cinematograph Owners and Exhibitors Association of India (COEAI) will be held tomorrow (Saturday, 31st July, 2021) at 12 noon to discuss the points for representation before the Maharashtra state government for reliefs and concessions for cinemas in Maharashtra. The meeting will also discuss whether to reopen cinemas or not without the demands being addressed by the government.
The demands which the COEAI has put forth to the state government are as follows:
(1) Increase in service charge from Rs. 11 to Rs. 25, which has been granted in the states of Goa and Gujarat. The necessary SGST and CGST will be paid on that by the cinemas.
(2) Waiver of property tax for the closure period due to COVID-19 lockdown.
(3) Waiver of fixed demand charges and power factor penalty in electric bills.
(4) Extension in licence period.
(5) Soft loans for Cinemas.
(6) Refund of SGST in the case of tax-free films.
(7) Refund of deposit of five and seven years’ tax exemption scheme as per GR dated 28-2-2013.
(8) Small-scale industry status for Cinemas and the exhibitor sector.
(9) Additional FSI of two times more than the current plot size should be given to single-screen cinemas, free of cost and without requirement of open space margins and parking requirements. For those cinemas which cannot utilise the said FSI due to technical issues like plot size, they should be given permission to shut down their cinemas.
(10) Multi-purpose use of cinema premises.
(11) Maharashtra DCPR to apply to Bombay DCPR and plots less than 2,000 square metres. Those who cannot comply with the 1/3rd capacity rules should not be allowed to redevelop without insisting on keeping cinema.
(12) Implementation of report of meeting with Deepak Kesarkar, with amendments.
(13) Alternative use of cinema should be permitted till the situation of Coronavirus becomes normal.
(14) Compensation for cinemas who suffer losses due to flooding and storms.
(15) Financial help to touring cinemas.