Kingston, 12 January 2023 – “I know the need and I want to ensure that it’s done,” declared the Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange, as her Ministry took a major step towards establishing an insurance programme for entertainment, culture and creative industries practitioners.

The Ministry on Thursday (today) signed a contract with actuaries Eckler Jamaica Limited who will advise the Ministry on how to establish the scheme and make it sustainable.

The principal of Eckler Jamaica, Constance Hall, said her firm will “recommend to the Ministry this is the insurance company to provide the service, these are the benefits that should be provided and this is what you should pay to them for that service.”

The firm will take six months to design the scheme and make their recommendations.

Minister Grange said she wants the scheme to be “similar to the excellent programme we have for our sports personalities”.

Under the Jamaica Athletes Insurance Programme, national athletes in various disciplines benefit from group health, group life and personal accident coverage.

Minister Grange said: “We’re really happy to have been able to sign the contract today and get them going and in another six months we will be in a better position to indicate what that insurance policy for entertainment, culture and creative industries practitioners will provide.”

The Minister said “there is a great need” for an insurance scheme for entertainment, culture and creative industries practitioners. She said during the last two years at least 50 practitioners passed away and, in many instances, “it has been challenging just making sure they get a decent send off; we don’t want that to continue. The Government is committed to doing something about it and myself, as a practitioner, I know the need and I want to ensure that it’s done — that’s going to be part of my legacy.”

In order to benefit, entertainment, culture and creative industries practitioners must be signed up to the Ministry’s e-Registry. The Minister is encouraging those who are not yet signed up to do so at the Ministry’s website (www.mcges.gov.jm).

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