Cinema operators have petitioned Parliament asking Government to allow them resume their operations.

Cinemas were some of the various entities closed as one way of preventing the community spread of Covid-19 in March this year.

The operators, who presented their petition to the Speaker of Parliament, Rebecca Kadaga, asking the Government to allow them to operate while following the special operating procedures.

“The cinema operators said that even under ordinary operating circumstances, they have their special operating procedures to safeguard those intending to utilize their services,” Kadaga said during the plenary sitting on Wednesday 5 August 2020.

Kadaga reported that in their meeting, the cinema operators had cited a number countries that have opened up and allowed cinemas to operate, including Austria, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Latvia, Bulgaria, Luxembourg, Netherlands and Denmark.

She requested the National Task Force on Covid-19 to consider their issue and to also progressively consider other sectors within the economy which are still shutdown for the sake of relief.

However, Independent MP for Ayivu County, Benard Atiku said that some people operating video halls hide behind the cinema operators yet they operate halls where they screen inappropriate material.

“Children frequent these video halls yet the content they display is usually graphic and inappropriate; we need to protect our youth from these people,” he said.

Atiku suggested that the Government takes caution if it is to open up the cinema operators and emphasize the authenticity of their operations.