FORMER Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos is calling on lawmakers to scrap the 10 percent amusement tax on movies to attract more moviegoers and help the movie industry which is still grappling from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns.
Speaking at the announcement of the second batch of official film entries for the 50th edition of the annual Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) on Tuesday, Abalos said his proposal will boost the movie industry.
He noted that the movie industry suffered a big blow due to the lockdowns imposed at the height of the pandemic as he underscored the necessity to help the local movie industry recover by attracting more people to watch movies in theaters.
Abalos, a lawyer and former MMDA chairman, said that while the movie industry is slowly bouncing back, removing the tax will hasten the industry’s recovery.
Abalos also lauded the current leadership of the MMDA and the MMFF, led by lawyer Don Artes, who had earlier announced that the Metro Manila Council, composed of all mayors in the National Capital Region, has agreed to waive the amusement tax on local films in the NCR for the next three years.
“We must replicate this in the entire country. Hindi lang dapat tuwing MMFF (And not just during the MMFF). We must remove the amusement tax, or lessen it, to help reduce the cost and lower ticket prices, as it is a pass-on charges that consumers ultimately bear,” Abalos said.
