The Executive Secretary of the Lagos State Film and Video Censors Board, Bamidele Balogun has been suspended by the State Government for imposing a 5% levy on content producers operating in the state.
Mr. Balogun was suspended for issuing a letter mandating that content producers pay a 5% tax before shooting in any part of the state. The new levy would have affected digital companies like Iroko and Netflix.
The Lagos State Commissioner of information, Gbenga Omotoso denounced the letter via a twitter statement saying there was no levy on audio-visual content of physical and digital platforms.
Excerpts from the statement read,
“The Executive Secretary, Lagos State Film and Video Censors Board, Mr Bamidele Balogun, is said to have announced a 5% levy. The Government hereby dissociates itself from the said announcement in the media.
“The fifth pillar of the T.H.E.M.E.S Agenda, the development policy of this Administration, is Entertainment and Tourism. Practitioners are partners in our effort to ensure that Lagos State remains Africa’s leader in entertainment. The Executive Secretary, who was not authorised to make such an announcement, has been suspended, pending an administrative enquiry.
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“The Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu Administration is not insensitive to the fact that the industry has been badly hit by the effects of the COVID -19 pandemic and empathises with this and other sectors of the economy.”
Mr. Balogun had gone ahead to issue the letter despite a Federal High Court injunction barring the Lagos Censors board from imposing such a levy saying it would amount to double taxation.