CGV Jakarta Cinema Allowed To Fill 50 Percent Capacity, XXI Not Sure

JAKARTA - The DKI Jakarta Provincial Government allows the CGV cinema to operate with a total audience of 50 percent of the normal capacity in the auditorium. Then does DKI allow XXI cinemas to do the same?

Head of the Jakarta Tourism and Creative Economy Agency (Disparekraf), Gumilar Ekalaya, said that currently XXI has not been allowed to open operations with an audience capacity of 50 percent.

"XXI cannot directly (open a cinema with a capacity of 50 percent). If they want to operate 50 percent of the audience, they must propose for additional capacity," said Gumilar to VOI, Thursday, November 5.

According to Gumilar, XXI must follow the procedures for opening cinema operations during the COVID-19 pandemic as was done by CGV. When the transitional PSBB period was reinstated, CGV moved quickly to apply for a license to open cinemas to the DKI Disparekraf.

Once permitted, CGV opened operations on October 21 with an audience capacity of 25 percent. Meanwhile, XXI is still holding back for fear of not benefiting from these restrictions.

When the 25 percent capacity is deemed to make cinema managers and film producers lose money, CGV proposes additional capacity to the DKI Provincial Government. This request was granted because there was no potential cluster of COVID-19 transmission in the bioksop.

"For CGV, they have opened at the beginning with a capacity of 25 percent. They have proposed to increase the capacity to 50 percent and it has been approved by the DKI Pemprov team," said Gumilar.

Therefore, if XXI hopes to be allowed to operate with a capacity of 50 percent, it must first pass the opening of an operation with a capacity of 25 percent. Then, re-apply for re-licensing to increase capacity.

"Later it will be evaluated by the DKI Pemprov team, whether 25 percent have implemented it according to the health protocol. Later the team will assess whether or not it can be increased to 50 percent," said Gumilar.