Remove 18% GST on ads on broadcast media or reduce it to 5%: NBA to FM

The News Broadcasters Association on Tuesday urged Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to remove the 18 per cent GST on advertisements on broadcast media or reduce it and bring it at par with the print media industry at 5 per cent in the wake of the financial constraints being faced by the industry.

NBA president Rajat Sharma, in a letter to Sitharaman, said in order to ensure social distancing and for ensuring the safety of the editorial personnel, the news broadcasters have had to take various steps which have resulted in the operating costs going up exponentially during the COVID-19 pandemic.