While noting that the Kingston and St Andrew Municipal Corporation (KSAMC) alone collected $28 million from entertainment licenses last year, Minister of Entertainment Olivia Grange said more than 19,000 events were held across the island.
“The entertainment sector has been robust in the past year,” Grange declared.
“The Jamaica Constabulary Force reported that 19,158 events were staged across the island in 2017. These events provided more than 30,000 temporary jobs.”
The minister, during her sectoral presentation in parliament this week, stated that, from the year 2012 to 2017, the authorities also granted permits for 120,264 events.
She said such numbers support Jamaica’s status as a Mecca for festivals.
“The Kingston and St Andrew Municipal Corporation is very aware of the value of entertainment, since it collected a whopping $28 million from entertainment licences. The KSAMC issues 33 percent of all entertainment licences in Jamaica annually,” Grange further told parliament.
“During Reggae Month this past February, more than 70 Reggae-related events were held in Kingston alone. Due to this uptick in music events, there was a 7 percent increase in visitor arrivals over the similar period last year.
“The carnival period saw 45 events being held between November and April, with a 12.5 percent increase in visitor arrival over the similar period last year. This uptick in visitor arrivals and the subsequent direct and indirect spending in the economy is attributable to both Reggae Month and Carnival in Jamaica,” added the entertainment minister.
She further stated that, between 2013 and 2017, the value of entertainment to the economy was estimated to be $107 billion.
“As impressive as that is, we know it is an undervaluation since not all entertainment sub-sectors were accounted for,” added Grange.
She, in the meantime, said her ministry is building a ‘new relationship’ with the island’s statistical agencies to develop systems, including the establishment of a Satellite Account, to measure and publish the full value of Jamaica’s creative economy.
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