Filenews 11 November 2025 - by Eleftheria Paizanou
The formulation of the final form of the bill for the operation of leisure centers is now in the hands of the Parliament, which will put it for approval in the Plenary. As it seems, the two-week time that the members of the Parliamentary Committee on Trade gave to the Government and the affected authorities to consult, did not bring the desired results.
Until yesterday afternoon, the members of the Committee had not received information from the executive, while it seems that no common formula for the bill has been found with the interested parties. From the notes sent to the Parliament by the affected bodies, it appears that the reactions to the differentiation of the opening hours of catering and entertainment venues continue.
The bill, which will be put before the Trade Committee again today, provides for the determination of targeted opening hours, by category and type of premises.
Among the changes are:
◗ Restaurants, taverns, pizzerias, cafes and snack bars will be able to operate daily from 6:00 am to 1:30 am.
◗ Pubs and bars will remain open from 8:00 am to 2:30 am.
◗ Indoor halls and banquet venues will be open from Monday to Sunday, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. the next day.
◗ Open-type (outdoor) banquet venues will remain open from 8:00 to 1:30 in the morning.
◗ Closed-type music and dance centers will be open all days of the week, from 20:00 to 5:00 in the morning, while the outdoor premises will be open from 20:00 to 1:30 in the morning.
◗ Discotheques and cabarets will be able to operate from Monday to Sunday, from 20:00 to 5:00 in the morning of the next day.
Difference of opinion
From the notes forwarded to the Parliament, it appears that there is a difference of opinion. The Pancyprian Association of Leisure Center Owners (PASIKA) rejects the differentiation of the opening hours and the inclusion of banquet halls in the extended operation regime.
He argues that, if the bill is adopted, there will be a chain effect, as the turnover of taverns, restaurants, bars and beers will be reduced.
It also points out that small businesses are at risk of closure and job losses. According to PASIKAS, the bill works for the benefit of clubs, music and dance centers, cabarets and banquet halls. In addition, it speaks of unfair competition and the degradation of Cypriot tradition and cultural identity.
The Paphos Leisure Center Owners Association (SIKAP) also expresses its opposition to the bill, which — as it claims — favours a small category of large businesses and threatens the survival of hundreds of small restaurants, taverns and leisure centers in general in neighbourhoods, border areas (such as Polis Chrysochous) and non-tourist centers.
SIKAP calls on the parties to submit amendments to reduce the opening hours and fines in leisure centers. It also calls for the superpowers of the Deputy Ministry of Tourism to be limited and for the exclusion of border and non-tourist areas.
During the previous discussion of the bill in Parliament, the Director General of the Deputy Ministry of Tourism, Kostas Konstantinou, stated that all room for consultation has been exhausted, as the bill has been discussed since 2018.
Already, the members of the Trade Committee have warned that, due to the reactions, the article-by-article discussion of the bill will take place behind closed doors
