Modupe Gbadeyanka
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Companies operating in the hospitality, tourism and entertainment sectors in Lagos will enjoy a 50 per cent discount for licence and renewal fees payable to the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture.
This was disclosed by the Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mrs Uzamat AkinbiIe-Yusuf, at a press conference held in Alausa, Ikeja, on Wednesday.
The Commissioner said the gesture was part of the N1 billion approved by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu as seed capital for investment in the tourism sector.
She said palliative measure was approved for practitioners in the industry to drive the growth of hospitality, tourism and entertainment businesses in the state.
According to her, the gesture is aimed at providing key operators in the tourism business with soft loans to boost their capacity in driving growth and also position tourism business as a new frontier for job creation and economic prosperity in the post-Coronavirus era.
The Commissioner also reminded practitioners in the hospitality and entertainment industry that the window of opportunity to register their establishments with the Ministry is still open, stressing that these relief programmes can only be accessed by registered practitioners and emphasising that no hospitality establishment will be allowed to operate in the State without due registration with the Ministry.
“It is my pleasure and honour to inform Lagosians that Mr Governor has graciously approved the release of N1 billion as seed capital for investment in tourism to drive the growth of hospitality, tourism and entertainment businesses,” she stated.
Mrs Akinbile-Yusuf explained that her ministry will work, hand in hand, with the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF) to administer the single digit loan to practitioners that meet the criteria set by the ministry and LSETF.
While appreciating the Governor for increasing the number of people allowed in social gatherings to a maximum of 50 persons, the Commissioner said the directive signals a gradual recovery of activities in the entertainment and creative sector.
She, however, pleaded with the practitioners not to abuse the privilege or misconstrue this additional easing of the lockdown as a means to open up, noting that night clubs and beaches remain closed until a further directive from the State Governor.
