Parliamentarian Uddika Premarathna says the viewership in the cinema industry reduced to zero due to the ethnic conflict.
Speaking during the committee stage debate in Parliament yesterday, MP Premarathna said although Sri Lanka’s population is 21 million at present, in 1985, Sri Lanka’s cinema industry had double the viewership than the current population.
He said the cinema industry can become one of the biggest foreign income earners of the country.
MP Premarathna commended the measures taken by the government to improve the cinema industry but called on more action to revive it.
He said a Task Force was established in India to develop and promote the Telugu and Malayalam film industry.
He said they have managed to succeed in their efforts and Sri Lanka can also use a similar approach to promote the local cinema industry.
