TMCnet News
Proliferation of Cinemas WorrisomeFreetown, Nov 07, 2008 (Concord Times/All Africa Global Media via COMTEX) -- Minister of information and communication has, in a meeting with the national union of cinema entertainers (NUCE), stated that the proliferation of cinema houses was unimaginable and becoming a concern to the government and his ministry. Ibrahim Ben Kargbo said commercial cinema owners were not handling their business centers responsibly, noting that the country was law abiding, decent and civilized. "These cinema and sport centers are not registered and do not pay taxes. There is a complete absence of censorship on films entering Sierra Leone," he said. Kargbo explained that most students abandon their schools for these cinema and games centers where they would spend the rest of the day without doing much for themselves. "Cinema owners must apply the principle of self-censorship in their businesses," he said. But deputy minister of information and communication Mohamed Koroma said since a union now exists to champion movie businesses in the country, he would give the necessary backup to bring harmony into the trade. "I am aware that some cinema operators are still in the habit of flouting the laws of the union. The time will come when we will use force to bring normalcy in the operations nationwide," he said. NUCE's secretary general Martin Kargbo thanked the ministry and asked them to give the organization the necessary support needed to achieve the government's vision. |