Petition To The Honourable Tourism Minister For The Reopening Of Our Cinemas

The NFA-Action Group (NFA-AG), a Creative Arts industry pressure group largely made up of film industry stakeholder associations and guilds is calling on the Presidency through the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture to immediately take action to lift restrictions on our cinemas in Ghana.

This is to enable the film industry to kickstart its process of recovery after the COVID-19 pandemic in line with many other sectors.

We have carefully evaluated the potential spread of the virus at our cinemas and the attached risk assessment shows the residual rating as safe for reopening. We propose an online booking system which will allow us to track and trace our customers easily.

Our petition comes at this good time, especially after His Excellency, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo has lifted restrictions on a number of sectors where large groups gather such as Churches, Mosques, drinking bars and tourist sites. In addition, passenger buses have been allowed to operate at full capacity while travelling to further destinations.

While making this request the NFA-AG thanks the Government for the stimulus packages put in place for the Creative Arts Industry. We believe that if the Government accepts our petition to allow the cinemas to reopen, the industry will recover much sooner from the impact of the pandemic. Our risk assessment report will be made public through a ZOOM Meeting with other film industry stakeholders and practitioners today(Wednesday the 5th of August, 2020) at 4pm. It is our utmost goal to inform and educate film makers and cinemas goers on the risks and how to minimise them. The report considers the full process of the cinema’s operation.

Honourable Minister, while we bring this petition to you, we would like to use this opportunity to draw your attention to some concerns of the film industry. During last year's Creative Arts Forum, a few of these concerns were set to be resolved by the close of the year. To date, only the inauguration of the National Film Authority Board has been concluded. This was done on the 20th of December, 2019 and 7 months down the road we still feel that more could be done, ie. resourcing the National Film Authority, drafting and laying the Legislative Instrument of Act 935 in Parliament, among other things.

The NFA-AG hereby presents this petition to the Honourable Barbara Oteng Gyasi MP. to advise the government on the above subjects for cinemas to be allowed to operate alongside the COVID-19 safety protocols, as stated in the attached Risk Assessment by the NFA-AG.

God Bless Ghana Film Industry.

God Bless Ghana.

Yours in Service,

Ps. Cosby Bikpe (Convener - 0244638508)

NFA - Action Group

Co-Conveners

Ken Fiati

Kwasi Antwi Bosiako

Kojo Preko Dankwa

(PRO, 0575655656)