Group Health Insurance Policy for Entertainers to Launch in March
By: , February 15, 2025
Photo: Mark Bell
Custos of Kingston, Hon. Steadman Fuller receives the Royal Salute from the Guard of Honour mounted by the Jamaica Defence Force during the 2025/26 Ceremonial Opening of Parliament at Gordon House on Thursday (February 13). He deputised for Governor General, His Excellency the Most Hon. Sir Patrick Allen.The Full Story
A Group Health Insurance Policy, covering 4,000 members of the Entertainment Registry, free of charge, will be launched by March 2025.
Custos of Kingston, Hon. Steadman Fuller, made the disclosure while detailing initiatives under the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, as he delivered the 2025/26 Throne Speech in Gordon House on Thursday (Feb. 13).
He noted that in November 2024 the Government partnered with Guardian Life Limited to launch the Jamaica Entertainers and Creatives Insurance Plan, providing life and accident insurance for registered creatives.
Custos Fuller, who was deputising for Governor-General, His Excellency the Most Hon. Sir Patrick Allen, further reported that legislation is being advanced to bolster the cultural product.
These include amendments to the Jamaica National Heritage Trust Act, to strengthen heritage protection, which is expected to be completed in the upcoming financial year.
In addition, the Legal Deposit Act will be revised “ensuring publishers deposit literature, audiovisuals, and other works in the National Library of Jamaica,” Custos Fuller said.
He noted that Jamaica once again secured a place on the United Nations (UN) Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization’s (UNESCO) Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage, with the ‘Pilgrimage to Watt Town’ inscribed in 2024.
“This milestone celebrates the revivalist Afro Christian tradition and its contribution to Jamaican culture and identity,” he said.
Turning to sports, Custos Fuller reported that the National Stadium Redevelopment Project will break ground in 2026, with construction spanning three years.
In addition, he said that the Jamaica Anti-Doping Commission (JADCO) will enhance anti-doping efforts through partnerships with the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), Jamaica Customs Agency, and private entities to expand its sample collection personnel under a national duty programme.
He informed that the Government provided $68 million in grants to Olympic and Paralympic delegation members, following the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.