Story by Yolanda Moyo
THE National Arts Council of Zimbabwe is working on establishing a one-stop centre that will improve the ease of doing business in the entertainment industry.
Knowledge gaps on procedures to be followed when organising shows have resulted in several entertainment events being cancelled.
Players in the industry who attended a capacity-building workshop organised by the National Arts Council of Zimbabwe in Bulawayo this Monday concurred on the need to plug the knowledge gaps.
“This was an eye-opener because we realised that some of the things we were doing are wrong and it would have affected our work one day,” said one of the players.
“This workshop was critical in terms of being to the fore issues affecting us as players in the sector so that the authorities can explain to us the procedure,” another player said.
There were also calls for a review of the legal framework to ensure it promotes the growth of the sector.
“There are so many legislations in this sector that are not in line with the developed world we are living in and this has affected the entertainment sector in Zimbabwe. It is high time the legal frameworks are revised and we move in line with the world that we are living in.”
Another player added, “There are so many offices that one needs to knock at, just to host a show and this affects the industry and promoters tend not to host shows because of the fees needed to host a show.”
“Some people are in the industry to promote local talent, but the fees needed to get a clearance for the show is too much from paying police as security and all,” noted another.
The National Arts Council of Zimbabwe says it is working with relevant authorities to create a one-stop centre that will improve the ease the doing of business in the industry.
“As the council, we went to Zambia to learn how they are doing it in terms of easing the doing of business in the sector. So we are taking a leaf from Zambia and working with all stakeholders so that by year-end we have implemented modalities that will enable smooth operations in the entertainment industry,” said National Arts Council of Zimbabwe director, Mr Nicholas Moyo.
Participants were drawn from the southern region of the country, with service providers such as the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP), the Censorship Board, Zimbabwe Revenue Authority and the Immigration Department also in attendance.
