Minister Anthony outlines wide ranging plans for sports development
– also highlights numerous activities in culture and youth this year

MINISTER of Culture, Youth and Sport, Dr. Frank Anthony has hailed increased budgetary allocations to his Ministry as good investments, which will ensure that every Guyanese, particularly youths, have equal access to cultural and sporting experiences.
He added that they can have positive impact on self-esteem, attitudes and capacity for
contributing to national development.
Speaking during debate on the National Budget 2014, in the National Assembly, he commended the Government for substantive spending increases on education, health, housing, sanitation and water.
“It is clear that there is something for everyone, whether you are young or old, whether you are school age or middle age, whether you are from the hinterland or the coastland, whether you are employer or an employee.
“All of these investments will benefit our young people in a direct or indirect way. This budget is about you,” Dr Anthony insisted.
Noting that cultural expression is multi-faceted and all-encompassing and, in numerous ways, giving meaning to life and civilisation, he said: “We, in the Ministry, are working hard to ensure that we realise the full potential of our cultural assets.”
Dr. Anthony lauded the many youth specific investments in the 2014 Budget, including the National Training Programme for Youth Employment (NTPYE), the Apprenticeship Programme, the Board of Industrial Training (BIT) Programme and the Youth Entrepreneurship and Apprenticeship Programme (YEAP) in the hinterland,
all of which will continue.
The President’s Youth Award Programme and the Youth Volunteer Platform Programme will be continuing the opportunity offered to young people to be positive role models in local communities and would be expanded.

POSITIVE ROLE
Successful young people who have played a positive role in their communities will be recognised when the National Youth Award Scheme is inaugurated later this year, Minister Anthony also announced.
He said the National Youth Policy, which will give rise to a number of new initiatives for youths, would come on stream this year, too, with the promise of other good things for young Guyanese and, with that under consideration, the Ministry has placed and will continue to place a lot of emphasis on cultural education through dance, art, music and drama Schools that are training future choreographers, dancers, artists, musicians and dramatists.
This year, as well, the E.R. Burrowes School will offer fresh courses in fashion design and photography and, apart from specialised art education, a course in art appreciation will be available to the general public.
In 2014, too, the second visual arts competition and exhibition, under the patronage of President Donald Ramotar will be staged in November and is expected to be one of the highpoints in the cultural calendar.
The Ministry, together with various stakeholders, will launch a project to teach film making in Guyana and prominent Jamaican Professor, Dr. Denis Howard would assist in formulating a strategy for development of the creative industry.
Another announcement made by Dr Anthony is that the Walter Rodney National Archives will be fully digitalised and placed online and, through the Walter Roth Museum, a draft Archaeological Development Plan has been crafted for implementation in the Berbice River area, where critical related sites are identified.
He said the process of researching this location and carbon dating the artifacts will continue with the University of Florida during 2014.
With respect to national monuments, the National Trust is to spend approximately $12M on the 1763 Monument site, restoration of the armoury at Fort Zeelandia, work on the windmill at Hogg Island, restoring the roof of St. Peter’s Church in Leguan and commence work on the site of the indentureship monument at Palmyra.
In addition, Cabinet has given its approval for Guyana to accede to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) Convention on the Protection of Underwater Cultural Heritage and to the Convention on Intangible Heritage.

TWO CONVENTIONS
“During this year, we will accede to these two conventions and this will open the door to technical and other assistance in heritage protection,” Minister Anthony stated.
He said the Caribbean Press will continue to publish books about Guyana, both past and present. With respect to sports, he expressed hopes for cricket legislation that would assist the game to grow and develop, and which he said will be passed this year.
The Minister said, too, that by the end of this year, the National Synthetic Track at Leonora, West Coast Demerara will be partially operational and the football field, the two Northern Stands, the parking, access roads and the Club House will be fully completed and, with those sections completed, the facilities can be put to use.
Development of the Guyana National Stadium will proceed this year and, within the next few months, the lights at Albion, Corentyne, will be ready to facilitate night games there.
Dr Anthony told the House: “We are, once again, pleased that $300 million have been allocated to the development of community grounds.”
He informed that the Government will also provide ten acres of land to the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) to build a training facility, using resources allocated through the Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) Goal Project.
The projected investment over the next five years would be approximately US$6.5 million.
Meanwhile, the Guyana Karate College will begin construction of its Dojo on the one acre of land that Government has allocated to it and that would create a permanent home for that sport in Guyana.
He said: “We will also urge the Guyana Olympic Association to do the same.”
Minister Anthony noted that, last year, the Guyana Motor Racing Club (GMRC) became a full member of the Federation Internationale de Automobile (FIA), a very favourable development for that sport and that body has given the local affiliate a grant to develop a master plan for the Timheri Circuit, with the aim of making it into a Class Three Track.
A team, headed by Mr. Abed of the FIA was, recently, in Guyana to start discussions on the design of the facility.

(By Clifford Stanley)