KINGSTON, Jamaica — Mayor of Kingston Delroy Williams is calling for a review of the Noise Abatement Act in order to encourage more investment and bring greater order to the sector.

“As we see it, there are too many uncertainties in the industry, in particular the segment of the industry that deals with events and events promotion,” he said.

“We believe that there ought to be far greater order and certainty in that segment, and so we believe that the Noise Abatement Act ought to be reviewed and reviewed in a manner that takes into consideration all the views of stakeholders [and] must include the municipality,” he added.

Williams was speaking at yesterday’s meeting of the Kingston and St Andrew Municipal Corporation at the Jamaica Conference Centre in Kingston.

Under the Noise Abatement Act, people providing music for entertainment in public spaces, in circumstances where such music is likely to disturb others occupying or residing in any private premises within the vicinity, should submit a written application to the Superintendent of Police in charge of the division in which the activity is slated to be held for permission to do so, no later than 10 clear days before the date on which the proposed event is to be held.

Where the law is contravened, on first offence, an offender pays a fine not exceeding $15,000 or serves a prison term not exceeding three months.

For a second offence, they can be fined up to $30,000 or be imprisoned for six months. For a subsequent offence, they can be fined up to $50,000 or 12 months.