Reporter Broadcasting Corporation (RBC) had requested the Kochi Corporation to waive and exempt the entertainment tax for the proposed international friendly match it was sponsoring, featuring the Argentina national team. The match, originally scheduled for November 17, has since been called off. RBC managing director wrote to Mayor M. Anilkumar on October 16.
As per the Local Self-Government department’s order dated January 31, 2024, the Corporation is entitled to 10% of the ticket fare as entertainment tax. Waiving this would have resulted in a significant revenue loss for the civic body. While referring the request to higher authorities, a Corporation official recalled the Kerala High Court’s interim order directing the payment of ₹1.36 crore in connection with the waiver of entertainment tax for an Indian Premier League match held at the Kaloor International Stadium in April 2011.
The RBC request was included as an agenda item in the Corporation’s Finance Standing Committee meeting held on Tuesday (November 4), for which the notice had been prepared on October 24. The Opposition United Democratic Front (UDF) opposed the request. “The proposal was submitted without disclosing the number of tickets the sponsor intended to sell or the ticket pricing. Waiving the entertainment tax would have caused a substantial revenue loss to the Corporation,” said M.G. Aristotle, UDF Parliamentary Party secretary.
