Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment, and Sports Olivia “Babsy” Grange says while there is more work to be done to improve the cultural and creative industries (CCIs), there have been marked improvements over the last several years.

“There’s more to do, but there’s more that has been done than ever before. We now have an artiste insurance that covers accident and health insurance to provide that support that practitioners need. We are [also] building out entertainment zones and putting in the appropriate infrastructure — in some instances turnkey operations — to ensure that venues are properly outfitted and ready so that promoters will have a more appropriate facility to promote their events. We’re also looking at a one-stop permit structure and it is not a structure that will impact on the municipalities’ revenue, because I know there is that concern,” Grange told media partners at a press conference held at the Jamaica Pegasus hotel in New Kingston recently.

Minister Grange’s remarks come on the heels of echoed sentiments by local creatives and stakeholders about the slow rate at which Jamaica’s CCIs are developing, as well as the limited investment being made into them.

Chairman of the Island Music Conference Orville “Shaggy” Burrell shared a similar standpoint when he spoke with the Jamaica Observer at the end of this year’s staging in February. He, however, cautioned that creatives have a huge role to play in attracting assistance.

“I don’t think that the Government and some of our financial institutions really look at our industry with the value that it should be looked upon. I think that some of us artistes actually make it difficult for them. Nobody’s going to bet on a horse that doesn’t run, and I think if the artistes and managers change their work ethic and start to operate a certain way then you will find a lot more entities feeling a lot more comfortable investing,” he said.

Meanwhile, Grange noted that the Government aims to maximise on readily available infrastructure across the island to propel the profitability of the entertainment industry.

“I think that the more coordinated we are, and certainly the government infrastructure both at the local government level and central government level, the more we will better be able to create an enabling environment for the entertainment sector. For example, we’re setting up an enterprising team at the Trelawny Stadium, which will be at the centre of entertainment and sports tourism. So, there’s a lot more to be done, but we have done a lot,” she continued.

According to the latest industry survey, the CCIs contribute an estimated $107 billion annually, representing about 5.2 per cent of Jamaica’s gross domestic product (GDP), with some estimates reaching as high as 7.6 per cent when extended impacts are included.