The government today said its decision to increase duty on imported set top boxes (STBs) was an attempt to support the domestic manufacturing sector and not to stall the process of digitisation.
Finance Minister P Chidambaram has decided that the customs duty on imported STBs needed to be increased slightly, Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari said, adding, "Therefore I don't think it should be seen as an attempt to stall digitisation or as an attempt to set the process of digitisation back."
Tewari made the remarks in his recorded address that played at the FICCI Frames 2013 being held in Mumbai.
He said that the experience of first and second phases of digitisation process showed that there was a revenue outgo of nearly 4-5 billion USD in import of STBs which was paid by people of India. There was a need to provide appropriate benefits to the Indian manufacturers, he said.
Tewari also said that the process of digitisation was also a social contract among all stakeholders and should be a win-win situation for all. He said that there was a need to attain universal support from all stakeholders for the process.
The Minister said efforts were on to create a single window clearance mechanism for foreign films to be shot in India.
Tewari said that his Ministry has constituted a panel to review the mandate and functioning of Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) and recommend measures including statutory changes to enable CBFC to deal with contemporary requirements of certification and the recommendations are likely to be put before Parliament.
