THERE will be no Guyana Festival this year, but a grand festival will be held to coincide with Guyana’s 50th Independence anniversary next year.This assurance was given in the National Assembly yesterday by Tourism Minister Cathy Hughes, who explained that due to the time of year the Administration assumed office, not much planning could have been done for the festival this year.
GuyExpo,Guyana’s premier trade exhibition has also been shifted to 2016, to be part of a number of grand events to mark the country’s 50th anniversary as an independent nation.

The Guyana Festival was re-launched in August last year. The festival featured the heart of Guyana through “sound, taste and soul” and showcased the country’s culture, as well as its tourism potential.
The grand event was held at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence, East Bank Demerara, and it offered a mixture of the country’s traditional music, dance, food, art and craft.
The festival was promoted as part of the country’s wider tourism package. Minister Hughes made the pronouncement in response to a question from former Tourism Minister Irfaan Ali.
Ali also queried from the Government the yearly sums allocated to the Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO) and whether Guyana has been benefiting from the association.
Minister of Business Dominic Gaskin, who was at the time holding the fort for Minister Hughes who was briefly absent from the chamber, told members of the august body that Guyana has benefited from the CTO.
This included training of local personnel, Guyana being able to participate at regional trade shows, in awareness programmes, being promoted in regional publications and having access to information on tourism in the Caribbean.
Senior Tourism Ministry officials will soon be meeting with the management of CTO to discuss their support to Guyana.
On a different matter, Gaskin also told the House that some $183M has been allocated for works on roads and drainage and irrigation in Lethem, Region 9.
The contract for this project, which aids the development of Lethem, was awarded to ACAP Construction Engineering Inc and to date, some $158 million has been spent.
Commercial estates
Former Go-Invest Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Keith Burrowes, in June, had said that lands identified in Lethem for the establishment of three commercial estates have been re-opened to investors for development.
About six years ago, the former Administration had identified the lands, but development was put on hold after it was found out that a contractor was building a factory inconsistent with established requirements. Other inconsistencies in the commercial estates project were later found.

Gaskin told the House yesterday that plots in those estates have not been allotted as yet, but explained that the ministry is awaiting the formulation of a clearly defined policy for the commercial zone before any lot is awarded.
Ali enquired from the minister if the Administration intends to make the area a free zone, pointing out that this was the thrust of the former Administration.
Gaskin, in responding, said the issue will be examined by the Government. And on that point, the former Tourism Minister informed the House that the Opposition is willing to work with the Government to develop the commercial area.
He pointed out that aside from the economic activities it will generate, it also has huge potential for tourism.
The request from Ali was given a nod by Gaskin, who noted that the call centres being constructed at Leguan and Wakenaam will provide jobs for some 600 persons.
During consideration of the estimates and expenditure for the ministry, the issue of fuel and lubricants also came up, as has been the case with the other sectors.
Ali inquired if the reduction of money for the purchase of fuel is a prudent move by the ministry, to which Gaskin answered in the affirmative.
The minister explained that enough fuel was purchased and stored in 2014, with a handsome amount available this year.
Ali then put the question to the minister, given that a handsome amount of fuel is available, if it is wrong for the Government to say that the former Administration abused the use of fuel when it was in office.
But Gaskin said that is not an issue he could determine.