| BY KEDIESHA PERRY— Observer writer— | 1 |
Jamaica’s major entertainment players are breathing a huge sigh of relief after the industry was reopened today after being shuttered for two years due to the novel coronavirus cases.
Gary Matalon — major shareholder in Kingston Live Entertainment (KLE) Group Limited, operators of live entertainment venue Usain Bolt’s Tracks and Records — said he was delighted by the relaxation of measures, but is encouraging the Government to put a plan in place in the event of another spike.
“Well, I am very happy that we no longer have to operate with all the restrictions and can look forward to business as usual, and to be able to operate freely again. Certainly, that is going to make a tremendous difference to the industry. I think it is very important for the Government not to lose sight of the fact that we need to continue to build up our health-care facility and infrastructure in the event that there’s any other issues down the road we can always manage it a little better than we were able to this last time,” Matalon told the Jamaica Observer shortly after the announcement on Thursday afternoon.
During his contribution to the 2022/2023 Budget Debate in Parliament Prime Minister Andrew Holness announced that, effective today, Jamaica’s entertainment industry is fully reopened. He also said that, for the following six months, permit fees will see a 50 per cent reduction.
Holness further said the Development Bank of Jamaica will allot a total of $500 million as ‘start up’ grant loans for vendors who contribute to the entertainment industry, as well as small and medium-sized enterprises.
Vendors are eligible for up to $750,000, while business owners can get up to $5 million.
Mask wearing is no longer mandated. However, it is encouraged in enclosed spaces that sell food and drinks.
Despite the high anticipation to attend social gatherings, Matalon believes patrons will ultimately prioritize what he describes as “better” events.
“I think that there’s gonna be a flood of activity and, as time goes on, discerning patrons are going to gravitate towards the better value, quality and higher standard-type offerings,” he said.
Jamaica’s entertainment sector went into dormancy since March 2020, and government estimates indicate it has lost more than $26 billion.
In the same breath, Matalon is encouraging fellow promoters to prepare themselves to meet the demands of their patrons.
“They need to look long term and really position themselves to be able to do things that are going to be sustainable and that will ultimately give them the best returns. Great opportunities ahead, and I’m very excited that it appears we’re on a much better path,” he said.
The Conceptualizer of Rebel Salute, Tony Rebel, was singing a similar tune. He said preparations are already underway for the 2023 staging of the event.
“It’s good that the prime minister sees it fit to open the place. It could’ve happened long ago, but he chose now. We already started planning from before he made this announcement, because we assumed we would’ve gotten the green light for next year,” he told the Observer.
Other major events such as Reggae Sumfest and Dream Weekend have also been confirmed.
Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sports Olivia “Babsy” Grange was equally jubilant about the reopening when the Observer spoke with her at Shenseea’s debut album launch in St Andrew on Tuesday.
“I know that it [the reopening] means a lot to a lot of people…the various sectors, subsectors. From the humblest food vendor through to the artistes, the songwriters, the singer, the dancer; it’s their livelihood, and so it means a lot to them. They have to take care of their kids, they have to look after their families, and the pandemic has really hurt a lot of families. So it is time for them to build back their lives,” she said.
In late December, Grange, through her ministry, disbursed a $90-million special support package to members of the entertainment, culture, and creative industries — the largest grant for any sector in Jamaica’s history. Each beneficiary received a one-off payment of $60,000 to offset the negative effects of the industry closure.
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