Members of the Pancyprian Association of Recreation Center Owners are urgently calling for the reopening of all leisure centers from tomorrow, through their President, Fanou Leventis, who notes that the government's measures leave entrepreneurs exposed due to the nature of the recreation centers. are required to operate under many difficulties, but also at very high operating costs anyway.
Mr Leventis called on the government to provide more substantial regulations and support to the industry, noting that the sector has around 3600 licensed leisure centers and employs tens of thousands of workers.
In particular, the President of the Pancyprian Association of Recreation Center Owners spoke of "huge losses" suffered by entrepreneurs, which unfortunately are not yet allowed to operate, such as music and dance centers, discos, nightclubs and banquet halls.
According to Mr. Leventis, "all leisure centers should be operational from tomorrow", noting that "the restrictions must be such that they allow them to operate on a sustainable basis".
He also called on the government to seriously consider reopening the reception halls from tomorrow, noting that they are places with several thousand square meters and that their operation can be justified.
In addition, he stressed that it is necessary to find a legal solution to the issue of rents, since the government's announcements do not solve the viability problems of entrepreneurs.
On the occasion of tomorrow's lifting of the decree, which prohibits the gathering of more than 10 people, Mr. Leventis said that the members of PASIKA demand the restoration of the possibility of hosting at 2 square meters per person both outside and inside, for all the categories of leisure centers.
"As mentioned," he added, "for the thoughts we had on entertainment and leisure spaces over 1.500 square meters both indoors and outdoors, which could function with a maximum of 500, this should apply to banquet venues." and go until 20 .08.2020, where immediately afterwards everything should be released ".
In addition, he noted that the possibility of reinstatement should be considered as soon as possible, in order to improve the Law on Infectious Diseases, which concerns the extrajudicial regulation of offenses, as well as to take measures to make protocols, decrees and laws understandable, with the same way by all without exception.
He made it clear that the support of the leisure industry should be in the same parameters as the hotel industry, while he added that "it is necessary to create a positive climate around the industry - and not a hostile and warlike climate - many times with any damage to cause ".
Furthermore, he noted that "the least that the Municipalities have to do is to demand only taxes depending on how well a facility operated and of course to take into account the financially difficult period that most leisure centers are going through, in order to make reductions. still".
He also said that the operation of the leisure centers did not create any problem of spreading or reviving the virus in contrast to other forms of economic activity, even those of health, expressing the belief that "strict restrictions can be lifted on the possibility of hosting guests." .
"It is the greatest hypocrisy," he said, "to demand that we use the mask so strictly, and not just in very difficult, cruel and inhumane conditions, and to see people waiting in line for communion in churches with pre-pandemic images. . Supermarkets and shopping malls should be overcrowded and this should be advertised by the media ".
Regarding the amended legislation, Mr. Leventis said that PASIKA had identified the absence of the principle of proportionality and welcomed the categorization of the premises, adding, however, that they had said that the fines were still too high and that they should have been drastically reduced. "
"There has been some reduction, but not drastic, while the fact of reducing the capacity of the premises should have been taken into account, based on the respective decrees, which limit the capacity and the number of spectators, where in fact the categorization is eliminated. So if the capacity of each center should be taken into account at the specific and given moment, because according to the decrees, we have the paradox that the large premises pay increased amounts of money, due to their square meters, and the smaller ones which will operate close in the dynamics, but with the same guests as the big ones, smaller amounts ", said Mr. Leventis.
Meanwhile, he expressed strong concern over the way police have been conducting inspections in recent times, saying "industry should not be given to the north by any possible abusers of the power given to them by law."
Finally, he said that "it is tragic that the state has not yet understood that the leisure center industry is one of the upper extremities of the tourism industry and is not a similar activity", noting that this is probably the reason for the maximum discrimination in subsidies. of staff both in financial terms and in duration ”.