Parliament takes Film Bill through second reading

Accra, July 2, GNA - Parliament on Friday took the Development and Classification of Film Bill through the second reading with a call on the Committee, yet to be established to preview and classify films, not to allow prejudice and over censorship to stifle creativity and good viewing.

The Legislators also urged for parental guidance and enforcement of the classification of films in their homes.

The Bill is to replace the Cinematograph Act 1961 (Act 76). Nana Akomea, Minister of Information moving the motion told the House that the Bill would respond to public outcry, requests and demands to ensure that the screens were decent and acceptable in consonance with the Government's desire to ensure public decency.

It is also to ensure discipline and to protect the youth from such unacceptable films at their impressionable ages.

Nana Akomea said the society was vulnerable to many social vices some of which had resulted in the AIDS pandemic which all civilised societies was seeking to regulate and educate people on. "The Ministry of Information is inundated with correspondence and calls and the mass media are also full of letters and articles berating the Ministry and Government for their inability to control the public exhibition of such unacceptable films.

"Thus, the Bill is intended to provide a legislative machinery to deal with the development, production, distribution, marketing and exhibition of films."

Mr Akwasi Afrifa, Chairman of the Select Committee on Communication, presenting the report of the committee said the Bill would provide a veritable platform for an accelerated development of a culturally-conscious film industry in the country.