Cinema and multiplex operators have urged the government to bring film tickets priced below Rs 300 under the lowest 5% GST slab. The Multiplex Association of India (MAI) said the move would make movie-going more affordable for the public and provide much-needed relief to the film exhibition industry which continues to face financial stress since the pandemic. At present tickets priced above Rs 100 attract 18% GST while those priced below Rs 100 fall under the 12% slab. Will Movie Ticket Price Reduce? We are recommending that the Rs 100 slab be raised to Rs 300 so ticket prices till Rs 300 should attract 5 per cent GST and anything higher than Rs 300 should attract 18 per cent GST MAI President Kamal Gianchandani told PTI. Rs 300 slab will make cinema tickets more affordable he said adding that it will also infuse confidence in the exhibition sector the incumbent players need that boost in order to accelerate the growth rate. He further said the average ticket price in India is around Rs 170-175 in the country. Multiplex association On GST Slab On Movie Tickets he added ... if the government accepts our recommendation of keeping ticket prices below Rs 300 at a 5 per cent level you should expect a reduction of at least... 20-25 odd rupees in the average ticket price  MAI which claims to represent over 9000 screens of which 4000 are multiplex screens and 5000 single screens said the cinema exhibition industry is a fit case and ideal mandate for GST rationalisation. The food & beverages in cinema halls are treated as restaurant service without input tax credit (ITC) and according to MAI this blocks credit on inputs like ingredients packaging utilities and services. All inputs that we purchase from our partners and vendors we are not able to set off the GST that we pay on it towards our output GST so currently there is inefficiency complexity existing in the GST structure as far as the F&B part of our business is concerned he said. Highlights Movie tickets price Movie tickets price GST GST on Movie tickets price Multiplex Association urges govt to keep GST on film tickets low By giving the ITC the GST rate structure will become simpler and compliance will become better than what it is today he said.  (With Inputs From PTI)