Govt. revises licensing fees for public exhibition of films, performances 

The Government has made amendments to the existing charges for obtaining licences for the public exhibition of foreign or local films, stage dramas, musicals, and performing shows under the Public Performance Act. 

The revised charges were introduced through an Extraordinary Gazette notification issued last Friday (11) by Mass Media Minister Bandula Gunawardena to streamline the licensing process and ensure that charges remain in proportion with the scope of the exhibitions.

These rules shall be referred to as the “Fees for Public Performance Licences Regulation, No. 01 of 2023” and shall be effective from 15 August 2023. New laws will revoke Order No. 01 of 2015, published in Gazette Extraordinary No. 1922/49 dated 10 July 2015.

The notification outlines the amended fee structure for obtaining licences for public exhibitions of films and other performances. 

As per the new fee structure detailed in the Gazette, individuals or entities applying for a legal licence for the public exhibition of foreign films, including their trailers will now need to pay a fee of Rs. 40,000. Similarly, the fee for obtaining a licence for the public exhibition of local films, along with their trailers, has been set at Rs. 15,000. For those seeking to exhibit only the trailers of films, a fee of Rs. 1,500 will be applicable.

The process of obtaining the licence has also undergone adjustments. According to the notification, licences will be issued within five working days from the submission of the application forms and related documents. However, in cases where the licence is required in a shorter time frame, an additional fee will be levied.