Opening of the National Council of the Orange Economy

From its creation in 2018 to December 2020, the National Council of the Orange Economy has had two ordinary and three extraordinary sessions. The following is a brief summary of the most relevant decisions and commitments made in each meeting.

First session
Date: October 19, 2018
Modality: Ordinary
Place: Barranquilla, Atlantico
Main decisions and announcements:
o The document 'Bases for the Development of the Creative Economy' was approved, based on the "Seven I's".
o The Orange Economy governance scheme was approved, supported by two coordination arms at the national level. The first, derived from the CNEN and composed of technical tables with the participation of public and private institutions. The second, through the installation of entrepreneurship nodes and technical tables in the regions.
o Important tax benefits to be included in the Financing Bill, such as exemption from income tax for seven years for companies in the creative sector, the extension of the benefits of Law 1556 (Colombia Film Law) until the year 2032 and its expansion to other sectors of the audiovisual industry.
o The issuance of Orange Bonds by Bancoldex was approved, for a value of $ 400,000 million pesos.
o The commitment was made to convert the Culture Satellite Account into a broader and more consistent Orange Economy Information System.
o Approval of the Crea Colombia seal and of the design of a positioning strategy at the national and international level.
o Call for a proposal that details the structure and operation of an orange fund, as the financial arm and exclusive implementing body of the Orange Economy.

Second session
Date: March 8, 2019
Modality: Ordinary
Place: Cali, Valle del Cauca
Main decisions and announcements:
o The CNEN bylaws were approved.
o The most relevant investment figures for the Orange Economy in 2019 were released.
o Progress was made in the development of the Orange Economy Information System, SIENA, and the results of the latest measurement of the Cultural Satellite Account will be known in May 2019.
o The proposal for the structure of the Colombia Crea Talento Corporation was approved and free rein was given to initiate negotiations with possible founding partners.
o Presentation of the progress made in the design of the Crea Colombia seal as a symbol that identifies and adapts to the shape of each sector that is being promoted.
o Developments regarding the regulatory framework of the Financing Law and commitment to have the relevant decrees ready before the end of the first semester of 2019.
o Colpensiones presented the Orange Periodic Economic Benefits (BEPs) initiative in conjunction with Mincultura.

Third session
Date: May 24, 2019
Modality: Extraordinary
Place: Valledupar, Cesar
Main decisions and announcements:
o The work of Mincultura and the Mayor's Office of Valledupar were praised for submitting before Unesco the dossier for the declaration of Valledupar as a creative city of music.
o The results of the installation of 10 regional entrepreneurship nodes in an equal number of departments were presented; they involved the participation of eight regional competitiveness commissions, six governor's offices, six mayor's offices, eight chambers of commerce, seven family compensation funds, 11 business associations, five regional SENA offices and 17 universities.
o Report about the progress of three regional mappings in Barranquilla, Bucaramanga and Manizales, as well as the start of eleven more mappings in different regions of the country, in order to identify more easily the strategic creative sectors that most promote sustainable development in each region.
o The First Orange Report was presented by DANE, which includes added value and employment data for the first 32 out of 103 economic ISIC activities, those that are 100% made up of companies in the Orange Economy. Additionally, data was gathered for 14 of the 71 ISIC codes that have a partial inclusion in the Orange Economy.
o The Ministry of Culture highlighted the 67% increase in the budget of the National Stimulus Programme, totalling $ 23,000 million for 204 calls for projects in the Arts, Cultural Heritage and the Orange Economy. Additionally, in alliance with the Ministry of Information Technologies and Comunications (MinTIC), three calls for the $ 2,000 million Crea Digital Programme were opened.
Fourth session
Date: September 27, 2019
Modality: Extraordinary
Place: Virtual meeting
Main decisions and announcements:
o Enactment of Decree 1669 of 2019, defining the documents and requirements that the taxpayer interested in obtaining the exempted income benefit for seven years must submit, and creating the Orange Economy Committee of the Ministry of Culture.
o Under the purview of the CNEN, the Orange Economy Committee of the Ministry of Culture is empowered to issue the instructions, guides, formats and all kinds of tools necessary to guide the taxpayer interested in complying with the requirements to access the tax benefit.
o The entities that make up this Committee are: the Ministry of Culture, the Vice Ministry of Creativity and the Orange Economy, the Ministry of Commerce, MinTIC and SENA.

Fifth session
Date: December 16, 2019
Modality: Extraordinary
Place: Casa de Narino
Main decisions and announcements:
o Approval of the fiscal quota projection for 2020.
o Approval of the guidelines of the Comprehensive Orange Economy Policy: concept document, policy strategies document and infographic of policy lines, strategies and their relationship with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
o Presentation of the transformational indicator of the Orange Economy, based on the updated results of the Satellite Account on Culture and the Orange Economy (including all activities). Additionally, presentation of the strategy to meet the four-year goal through the promotion of three growth mainstays: (i) Cultural Tourism, (ii) Digital Media and Software, (iii) Media, advertising, design and publishing.
o Presentation of the legislative and regulatory agenda for the Orange Economy.
o Presentation of the Communications Strategy.
o Presentation of relevant aspects of the creation, legal nature, operation and purpose of the Colombia Crea Talento Corporation.
o Presentation of the second orange economy report, with the final numbers of the contribution to national added value and employment by each sector, as well as the total orange economy.