Gov't completing first draft of Cultural Economy Act

 

The Ministry of Culture says it is making progress on the establishment of a policy to drive the formalisation of the local orange economy.

 

Minister Olivia "Babsy" Grange says there have been consultations on the proposed legislation. 

 

"We are currently in the first draft stage of our Cultural Economy Act, which will be a legal framework for our ECCI, which is entertainment, culture, and creative industry sector. In fact, we move from having a cultural policy into creating this Economy Act. We had consultations, we had a first draft done, we had a similar consultation, and it is now with the drafter for her to incorporate all the inputs we have had to send us back a second draft."

 

She said the second draft will be reviewed by the ministry, after which, additional consultations will follow. 

 

"Final draft will then be taken to Cabinet along with the policy, because each legislation has to be informed by a policy, and then Cabinet now will sign off, and we will go to legislation," she outlined. 

 

Minister Grange said the legislation will provide a framework within which the sector can develop, protect intellectual property and encourage investment from the banking sector. 

 

According to the United National Conference of Trade and Development (UNCTAD), in 2021, the creative or orange economy was projected to reach a global valuation of US$985 billion by 2023.

 

It is also considered one of the fastest growing sectors in the world.

 

While Jamaica is renowned for a number of global entertainment and cultural contributions and enterprises, practitioners in the space have lamented the absence of an official framework under law to help boost the economic potential of the sector.