By Miranda La Rose
While the government is currently expending $505 million in preparation for Carifesta X with the sum of $305 allocated for infrastructural works, it is still to release its expenditure for hosting a series of the Cricket World Cup 2007 matches.
The remaining $200 million budgeted will meet the internal transportation costs for local and overseas artistes; meals, accommodation and costumes for the local participants; to defray costs for the opening and closing ceremonies; as well as to pay staff taken on for the duration of Carifesta X.
In an interview yesterday, Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Dr Frank Anthony told Stabroek News that there have been some queries by the Auditor General’s office of the audited financial statements prepared by the World Cup Local Organising Committee, which has since been disbanded. The former chief executive officer of the LOC Karan Singh was in the process of responding to the queries.
Dr Anthony expects that the completed audited report would be made public in about another two weeks – another in a series of projections he has been giving for releasing government’s expenditure for staging the CWC 2007, since September last year.
Asked how the $305 million budgeted for infrastructure in preparation for Carifesta X would be allocated, Dr Anthony said that it would involve repairs and upgrading of a number of facilities in the National Exhibition Complex at Sophia, National Park, National Cultural Centre, National Gymnasium, Cliff Anderson Sports Hall, Umana Yana (repairs to the roof); and a mobile stage for the Guyana National Stadium.
Regional events
In addition some financial assistance would be provided to regional administrations which would also be hosting a number of events for the cultural exposition.
In relation to the work being done at the National Exhibition Complex, Dr Anthony said that from the allocation for infrastructure, a sum is being spent on repairs to the main auditorium’s annexe and a new sanitary block was being installed near to the auditorium. This sanitary facility will also cater for the physically challenged; and a section in the Sophia complex is also being built to cater for an international culinary food fair.
He said that provision was also made for the construction of the Amerindian village in the Sophia Complex.
This would involve the construction of six or seven of the various benabs (dwelling houses), which would be used to showcase the indigenous peoples’ way of life.
Other infrastructural works in the Sophia Complex include the creation of an entrance and exit to the exhibition complex to the north on Dennis Street. Two bridges are to be built along with culverts and gates to allow for access in and out of the ground to ease crowd congestion.
In the National Park the works would include repairs to the eastern and western stands as well as re-roofing of the northern stands among other repair works identified for the stand. The entrances to the tarmac which are at present potholed are also earmarked for asphalting.
Youth village
Upgrading of the stage area and the dressing room and installing additional lights on the tarmac are also planned for the National Park arena.
The Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport would also be setting up the infrastructure for a Youth Village in the National Park. It is expected that UNICEF and UNFPA would be playing a significant role in the day-to-day functioning of the Youth Village, which is expected to see between 10,000 to 15,000 young people passing through it on a daily basis during Carifesta.
Work on the National Cultural Centre, he said, was minimal and at this stage involves upgrading the facilities back stage as well as the pulleys.
All the lights are to be replaced at the National Gymnasium and the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall with energy saving bulbs in time for Carifesta and it would be better for games and sporting events subsequently.
He said there were minor works to be done on the regional venues, since most of the grounds are in good shape and the government would be assisting the regions in some areas where necessary such as the construction of stages and upgrading sanitary facilities.
The regional venues are the Anna Regina Community Centre Ground, Uitvlugt Community Centre Ground, Blairmont Community Centre Ground, Albion Sports Complex and the Mackenzie Sports Club Ground.
He said that if the ministry exceeds the budget, it would have to seek additional sums through a supplementary budget.
While Guyana would be responsible for internal transportation, he said that overseas participants would be meeting their expenses for meals and accommodation.
Also in preparation for Carifesta X but not from the $505 million budget is government’s contribution to the reconstruction of the Theatre Guild in Kingston. In addition to a financial contribution of $15 million, the government has provided duty-free concessions for a number of pieces of equipment including sound, light, and air conditioning units, which would amount to some $10 million.
The government also provided the sum of $10 million for the 32-piece National Steel Orchestra; it has also provided the sum of $20 million to the Joint Services for a 100-member steelband; and with a donation of musical instruments worth some $3.5 million from Food for the Poor, the ministry was in the process of creating a ‘Festival Band’. “We need to add some guitars and a keyboard to complete the ensemble,” he said.
Donor community
In addition to government funding, Dr Anthony said the donor community has signalled its intention to help as well as the local private sector. The local private sector has indicated that it wants to make a substantial contribution but he said that until he has tied up an agreement with them he could not say what the contribution would be.
To date, he said, the Inter-American Development Bank has provided a grant of $12 million and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) the sum of $6 million, which is now in use for training in drama.
At present a team of 14 playwrights, actors, producers and directors are working with some 700 to 800 people on 15 modules in drama including stage production, lighting, sound, how to make props and directing plays at the National Cultural Centre in the afternoons and on weekends.
UNICEF, which would be working on the Youth Village, is also funding a children’s art competition, and a youth mural along the seawall from Sheriff Street to Conversation Tree.
Also for Carifesta X, the UNFPA would be funding the participation of some 150 persons from Guyana and across the region in its first regional ‘edutainment’ conference.
