Opposition spokesman for finance Julian Robinson believes that the nation must take full advantage of the sectors in which Jamaicans have displayed prowess, competence and accomplishment in order to achieve real economic growth.

“There is a vast unrealised opportunity for our people and for our economy to capitalise on the creative and cultural industries,” Robinson told the Parliament during his Budget presentation, Thursday.

In 2020, the music industry globally represented US$23 billion. The global sports market reached a value of $388.3 billion in 2020, and is expected to reach $599.9 billion by 2025, and $826 billion by 2030. The global film and video market is expected to reach $318.2 billion by 2025, and $410.6 billion by 2030.

“Jamaica needs to secure its place in this global creative economy. We won’t secure it by accident. We need to be deliberate and strategic. We need to take it seriously.

“The first thing we need to understand and accept is that the creative and cultural industries is a complex ecosystem, and not a monolithic concept. Within the creative and cultural industries, there are no fewer than 20 subsectors and, within those 20 subsectors, over 40 industries that can be identified, each with attendant activities, linkages, and products.” Robinson said.

He explained that the governance structure supporting the creative and cultural industries is spread across no fewer than six ministries:

• broadcasting falls under the Ministry of Information

• film is under JAMPRO at the Ministry of Investment and Commerce

• radio spectrum and telecoms fall under the Ministry of Science

• Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC) is under the Ministry of Culture

• animation is under the Office of the Prime Minister

• culinary arts and craft are the responsibility of the Ministry of Tourism

* If an event license is needed, it requires navigating between the Ministry of Local Government and the police, who fall under the Ministry of National Security.

“This absence of structure and fragmentation in governance is then replicated in the economic recording of the creative and cultural industries. Notably, its contribution to the economy is almost certainly under-recorded, because although various aspects of the industry are recorded within the Jamaica Industrial Classifications, they are not identified collectively as inputs from the creative and cultural industries.”

Robinson said that, even within Government, there is no full account of the cultural and creative assets and resources within the public service.

Pointing to one ‘low hanging fruit’, Robinson said the Government should conduct an audit of the creative and cultural industries for the purpose of proper planning on how best to leverage and maximise the full potential of these assets.

“There are clear success stories. Around the world people know Koffee, Spice, Shaggy, Usain, Shelly-Ann, and others, who represent one per cent of Jamaica’s cultural and creative industry practitioners. Imagine if we can tap into the potential of the majority… We need to decide: Are we going to do bottom-up development, or should we invest top down?… Taking the creative and cultural industries seriously requires a recognition that these assets are worthy of government attention, policy solutions and investment. It will need discussion, consultation, and re-education of our leaders and technocrats, and we must begin now,” Robinson said.