ENTERTAINMENT and Culture Minister Olivia “Babsy” Grange said, in addition to providing a lifeline to the creative sector, the Government’s stimulus package is serving to introduce structure to its informal character.

“The sector is normally referred to as informal, so this is an opportunity to move it into a more formal structure so data can be easily accessed from people who are compliant, are in the system and can benefit. They can benefit from the NIS (National Insurance Scheme) programme; they can join National Housing Trust and do all the things normal people do, such as go to the bank and apply for loans. What they would do is formalise their professional activities and would no longer be treated as part of an informal sector,” said Grange, who also has ministry responsibilities for sport and gender.

In late December, Grange announced that a $90-million special support package would be available for members of the entertainment, culture, and creative industries. This is the largest stimulus package for any sector in Jamaica’s history. Each member stands to receive $60,000.

To qualify, prospective beneficiaries should be registered on the ministry’s e-registry; be a member of an established industry body; and have an account with a Jamaican bank, or possess an NCB Prepaid Mastercard to facilitate payment.

“I had a vision that this would be a win-win situation in that it would not just be providing grants for individuals, but encouraging individuals to operate in a professional manner. They will need to have a TRN (Taxpayer Registration Number), and there are so many things they will have to ensure in order to benefit from this grant. They will have to populate the e-registry and that data will be important for planning the sector. Also this will contribute to building capacity of organisations such as JaRIA (Jamaica Reggae Industry Association), JFMAU (Jamaica Federation of Musicians and Affiliates Union); JAVAA (Jamaica Association of Vintage Artistes and Affiliates) and JAFTA (Jamaica Film and Television Association), as well as actors’ association and the sound system association. So we’re building capacity in all these organisations as a result of this grant,” she said.

So far, just under 200 individuals have each received a grant of $60,000.

Early last year, grants of $15,000, $20,000 and $40,000 were disbursed to some individuals in the sector as part of an initial COVID stimulus grant. Jamaica’s entertainment sector has been shuttered since March 2020 due to COVID-19, with Government estimates indicating it has lost more than $26 billion.