The Karnataka government is considering a cess on movie tickets and OTT subscription fees to support cinema and cultural artists.
The cess, ranging from 1 to 2 percent, will be revised by the state government every three years. This cess will apply to cinema tickets, subscription fees, and revenue generated from the related establishments in Karnataka.
The Karnataka Cine and Cultural Activists (Welfare) Bill, 2024 was introduced in the Assembly on Friday.
The Bill mainly considers it necessary to constitute a seven-member welfare board and establish a fund for financing schemes to provide social security and welfare of the artists.
“Any individual working in the film industry as an artist (actor, musician, dancer, etc.) or in any manual, supervisory, technical, artistic, or unskilled capacity is considered a cine and cultural activist. This also applies to people who are involved in activities that the government has declared in connection with this Act,” the Bill said.
The state government also plans to extend the cess to theatrical plays staged within the state, officials said.
