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The Town and ??Country Development Planning Office has sought to set the record straight as it relates to the need for entertainment promoters to have a licence as stipulated under the Public Entertainment Act.

Acting Chief Town Planner, George Browne, issued a clear-the-air statement today in response to an article in last Friday’s, June 24, edition of the WEEKEND NATION entitled: Licence to Fete in which some promoters charged that they had learned?? only last week that they first needed to obtain an entertainment licence prior to staging events.

The official pointed out that the public entertainment licence is a requirement of Value Added Tax (VAT) under the Public Entertainment Act Cap.85A, which came into existence on April 1, 1985.

Furthermore, Section 3 of the Act states: "No person shall keep a place of public entertainment without a licence issued under this Act."

Section 4 (1) of the said Act states: "A person desiring to keep a place of entertainment must apply to the Comptroller in the approved form and produce at the time of the application, the following documents: a certificate from the Chief Town Planner that the applicant has obtained planning permission in respect of the premises and the activities intended to be held thereon;?? and a certificate from the Commissioner of Police that the applicant has obtained planning permission in respect of the premises and the activities intended to be held thereon.

The applicants must also produce a certificate from the Commissioner of Police that he/she is a fit and proper person to keep a place of public entertainment, and a certificate from the Chief Fire Officer that the premises are provided with sufficient fire exits in relation to the number of persons who are to be accommodated therein.??

Section 34(6) of the Value Added Tax Act, Cap 87 also states: "promoters of public entertainment and licencees and proprietors of places of public entertainment shall be registered for the purposes of this Act."??

Additionally, Section 34 (9) of the said Act further states that "A promoter shall not stage any public entertainment promoted by him/her unless he/she has received the written permission of the Comptroller, for the staging of that entertainment."

Mr. Browne also clarified the position as it related to Weisers on the Bay and the Party Stand.?? In the case of Weisers on the Bay, he explained that permission was issued for that business for use as a restaurant, and added that one of the conditions attached to the approval stated: "this permission specifically excludes the use of this site for public entertainment/night club purposes."

Meanwhile, permission was granted for the Party Stand as an entertainment centre, inclusive of (bars, food tents and entertainment facility) on December 18, 2008.?? The permission granted at the time was for 47 months only.

jwilson@barbados.gov.bb

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