Entertainment Registry Progressing Well – State Minister Crawford

The establishment of a registry for the entertainment industry is progressing well, ahead of the July 31cut off deadline, despite a few challenges.

State Minister for Tourism and Entertainment, Hon. Damion Crawford, said the expected passive resistance from the players in the industry has been resolved, and the process has been going very well.

“We have been talking to the entertainers…the promoters will have to be registered and the benefits will soon be seen by all,” Mr. Crawford told JIS News in an interview.

He said the free movement of Jamaican entertainers across the world, especially around the Caribbean region, is but one of several benefits to be derived from the establishment of the registry in the local entertainment industry, and once it is set up, entertainers will gain the kind of recognition and respect that is due to them.

“There is no way to identify who artistes are and so many persons over the years have been able to escape the shackles of their own State and run away…under the guise that they are entertainers. That is why we put the registry in place to ensure that we can easily say these people are practitioners and under the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the European Union (EU), they are free to move, because they are providing a service,” Mr. Crawford said.

The State Minister warned that persons who register and then are found in violation of the rules governing the industry, will be removed from the system.

Making his contribution to the 2014/15 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives  recently, Mr. Crawford announced the establishment of an Entertainment registry, where all players in the industry should be registered, failing which they will operate  on their own and the Government would not  intervene on their behalf.