PARLIAMENT approved the allocation of $2.42B for the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport (MCYS) for 2014 on Wednesday night, after intense grilling of Minister Dr. Frank Anthony by Opposition Members.
The sum approved has been split with $1.56B approved for current expenditure and $854.6M for capital expenditure.

Sports received the largest allocation of $270.3M under current and $725M under capital works.
Culture followed with approval for expenditure of $575.5M under current and $89.2M under capital works.
And $534.8M and $30M were approved for current and capital works respectively for the Department of Youth.
Dr. Anthony successfully defended his budget proposals by giving information and explanations on several projects, which fall within the mandate of his ministry which the Opposition MPs found acceptable.
He also pledged to make information on activities of the ministry which members of the public can benefit from more widely publicised.
He disclosed, among other details, that the ministry will spend some $78.8M on national events such as Mashramani, Emancipation Day observances, International Day of Monuments sites, Indian Arrival Committee, the Phillip Moore lecture series, Independence observances and some support for observances by religious organisations.
He disclosed too that Guyana is vigourously pursuing a case of reparations for slavery.
He said that in 2013, Guyana had attended a meeting hosted by CARICOM to deal with reparations, but would also have to form its own national committee.
He said that the ministry had identified a number of persons who will document Guyana’s case for reparations which will be submitted to CARICOM and thence to the United Kingdom and other colonial authorities.
The sum of $5M was approved for this exercise.
He was grilled extensively, particularly on his request for $100M to be allocated to the Culture Arts and Sports Development Fund.
He had disclosed that some activities this head would provide for include increasing the number of Cuban coaches attached to the ministry from two to three at a cost of $19.5M; the staging of the second edition of the visual arts competition and exhibition at a cost of $16M; staging of the annual national drama festival in collaboration with Digicel at a cost of $7M; introduction of a National Dance Festival for the first time at a cost of $4M; staging of the second Song Competition at a cost of $9M this year; introduction of an Indigenous song competition using the nine indigenous languages at a cost of $7M; resuscitation of the Folk Festival and folk games at a cost of $5.5M.
Allocations approved under this head also included the provision of $9M to purchase musical instruments for distribution to communities; $5M for the staging of a Sports Management Course for local officials, in collaboration with the University of West Indies; establishment of an Institute of Creative Arts (ICA) which will incorporate the separate training institutions for arts, music and dance at a cost of $12M; and also two schools, one on film making and another for creative writing.
Following grilling by Opposition members of parliament, he disclosed that the activities of the Fund will be advertised widely so that all interested Guyanese can participate in and benefit from the fund, regardless of which Administrative Region they come from.
He also pledged that the Board which manages the Fund, now comprising the Permanent Secretary of the MCYS, the Director of Sports and the Director of Culture, will be expanded to include other stakeholders outside the ministry.
With respect to the capital projects, three notable expenditures were for continuation of the programme of rehabilitation of community grounds at a cost of $100M; completion of the warm up swimming pool at the National Aquatic Centre at a cost of $37M; and completion of the floodlights at the Albion Sports Club Ground in Region 6 (East Berbice/Corentyne) at a cost of $10M.
Minister Anthony also pledged that the ministry will give fullest possible publicity with respect to the means by which communities can get their grounds rehabilitated so that interested ones can access this support.
By Clifford Stanley