Panel suggests entertainment fee and tax

In what could pinch the pockets of Bengalureans seeking avenues of recreation, the Fifth State Finance Commission has recommended that the city corporations may levy an entertainment fee and impose an entertainment tax to increase the revenue of the newly-formed corporations under the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA).

The committee noted that the Greater Bengaluru Governance (GBG) Act, 2024, gives corporations the leverage to levy an entertainment fee on ticketed, ticketless, and television entertainment. Citing GBA’s estimates, the committee said an annual revenue of ₹300 crore could be generated from the GBA area from these.