Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport Dr. Frank Anthony yesterday assured members of the local and regional media that Guyana was working assiduously towards ensuring that the tightest security possible was present during the Carifesta festivities.
The minister was responding to questions by media representatives from Caricom states via videoconferencing at the first regional media briefing for Carifesta X, held at the Caricom Secretariat.
Anthony explained that the Guyana Police Force, along with the Guyana Defence Force and private security firms will be joining forces to provide security during the 10-day affair.
He stated that there will be heavy security at all the venues scheduled to host the various activities. He also said that special security forces will be on patrol in areas outside of Georgetown, as several of the Carifesta festivities are scheduled to be held outside of the capital.
When asked about the possibility of getting assistance from overseas, the minister said that the Ministry of Home Affairs had been in discussions with other governments, but said that he was unaware of the results of those deliberations.
Anthony said that thirty-one countries had so far confirmed their participation in the event – some with large delegations and others with small numbers. The Bahamas and Suriname were identified as two countries that are expected to send large delegations.
He said that every effort was being made to make sure that delegates arriving for Carifesta X could clear immigration and customs without any hassle. He said that the local customs and immigration officers had gone through special training to adequately prepare them to deal with the demands that the expected influx of delegations for Carifesta will pose.
The culture minister also stated that Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce Manniram Prashad had met with the various airlines to ensure minimal delay or loss of luggage.
Additionally, the minister shared his views on the nation’s preparation for Carifesta and his expectations for the event, expressing satisfaction at the progress of preparations.
He said almost all the venues were already in shape and those that were not would be ready in time.
Anthony stated that the government had contributed $505M towards the hosting of Carifesta but added that the administration had received over $50M in aid from several corporate entities as well as some regional and international organisations.
He also expressed confidence that Guyana would reap great rewards from this investment, adding that some of the infrastructure built especially for Carifesta will serve the country well in the long run.
He noted too that the special training that many children and young people received in the performing arts could only lead to a boost locally in that field. The minister also stated that the country’s eco-tourism sector stood to reap strong economic returns during the Carifesta period.
Meanwhile, Dr. Hiliary Brown, the Caricom Pro-gramme Manager for Culture and Community Develop-ment, speaking on behalf of Caricom said that the organisation is fully behind Carifesta. She said that Caricom is working diligently at promoting the festival among the Caribbean territories. She also stated that the regional governments were also among the financial contributors for this year’s Carifesta, since they were making financial contributions to send the various delegations from their countries to Guyana for the festivities.
According to Brown, this year’s Carifesta carries the mark of several of the strategic plans that were proposed in 2004 for Carifesta. These include plans to host the event every two years instead of every four years and to standardise the festival to a 10-day event, which would span two weekends. The plans also called for the greater involvement of members from the diaspora, and this Brown said was evident in the number of countries coming for Carifesta.
Artistic Director of the Carifesta activities, Dr. Paloma Mohamed also briefed the media on the festivities.
She stated that plans were on schedule and said that a full itinerary of activities will be released to the media and general public over the weekend. According to Mohammed, the general public can look forward to a diverse programme since this year’s celebration has about 20 facets.
Caricom Communication Officer from the Public Information Unit, Dorette Campbell, Carifesta Planning Consultant Dr. Carole Maison-Bishop and Chief Executive Officer for Carifesta, Nigel Dharamlall, were also at the head table.
