PESHAWAR, Sept 26: Eleven cinemas of the city have stopped screening films during Ramazan after the provincial government offered tax exemption to their owners as compensation.

However, the owners are not satisfied with the relaxation and said that the tax exemption would give relief to only four cinemas whereas the remaining would bear heavy loses.

“Seven cinemas are located in the cantonment area and Rs70,000 to Rs80,000 entertainment tax is being colleted from each of them. Only four cinemas — Picture House, Tawseer Mahal, Nawalty and Shabistan — will get the relief from the excise duty exemption,” the in-charge of Sabrina and Aaena cinemas, Saleh Mohammad, said on Tuesday.

He said the provincial government had compelled cinema owners to close down their business in Ramazan.

He said the government could not give any relief to cinema owners as majority of them were situated in the cantonment area where entertainment duty had been imposed on cinemas.

“A private contractor, who is been given contract for the tax collection is collecting the entertainment duty from cinema owners every month,” he said.

Cinema owners, he said, would soon convene a meeting to devise the future line of action. “Why cinemas in Peshawar have been closed, whereas in other districts cinemas are still screening films,” he added.—PPI