Stabroek News November 15, 2020
Promising a “truly modern” Guyana fueled by oil revenues, newly-appointed Minister with responsibility for Finance Dr Ashni Singh has also assured investors that cutting red tape will be one of the first areas addressed.
“We aim to build, in the shortest possible time, a truly modern Guyana, with world-class infrastructure that improves connectivity and unlocks the vast potential of our economy and of the Guyanese people,” he said.
The rush is on to make GUYANA the SHOWCASE country in the Caribbean (and South America) and it seems that they are going to have honest and progressive and patriotic GOVERNMENT for DECADES TO COME.
I have not seen so much support coming from CARIBBEAN LEADERS (except TRINIDAD) and EUROPE and CHINA and INDIA and AMERICA in decades -- it reminds me of when the WORLD UNITED to support NELSON MANDELA and SOUTH AFRICA.
But with all the PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE that is about to unfold -- I am most interested in the CULTURAL INFRASTRUCTURE with STEELBAND MUSIC taking THE LEADING ROLE. As I said many time before: When GUYANA had NO MONEY they invested HEAVILY in STEELBANDS and STEELBAND MUSIC -- so it is incumbent upon this new ALI GOVERNMENT to keep that momentum going and develop the GUYANESE STEELBAND MOVEMENT to the TOP OF THE WORLD.
We cannot let what happened in TRINIDAD reoccur in GUYANA in these modern times!!! Billions of DOLLARS in OIL REVENUE passed through TRINIDAD and HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS were invested in THE STEELBAND MOVEMENT -- only to see the GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATION managing THE PAN end up in SIXTY MILLION in debt ... decades later still begging a now BANKRUPT GOVERNMENT for MORE HANDOUTS.
GUYANA is in a position to do some REVERSE POLITICS here with an INDIAN GOVERNMENT that is going to be in power for at least the next 25 years (much like the PNM was) reaching out to the AFRO-GUYANESE STEELBAND MOVEMENT and providing GUIDANCE and FINANCING -- making GUYANA the WORLD LEADER in the WORLD OF STEELBAND MUSIC.
President Irfaan Ali has been preaching PATRIOTISM FIRST and equality for ALL GUYANESE -- and I believe him. Putting a PROGRESSIVE AGENDA for the DEVELOPMENT of the STEELBAND MOVEMENT in place (with much FANFARE) could turn out to be a GREAT CULTURAL ACHIEVEMENT as well as GOOD POLITICS.
GUYANA in now in the SIXTIES TRINIDAD POSITION where MONEY EH NO PROBLEM -- but the TALENT and the IDEAS and the IMPLEMENTATION that BUILD PROSPERITY in NATIONS might very well be lacking.
As it applies to the WORLD OF STEELBAND MUSIC -- I see all the pieces in place to build a WORLD CLASS STEELBAND NATION. There is a whole lot that they can SOURCE from TRINIDADIANS in TRINIDAD and around THE WORLD to develop their STEELBAND MOVEMENT into a GLOBAL MODEL. Which in turn could expand the boundaries of the STEELBAND MUSIC -- GLOBALLY.
This is a BIG CHALLENGE for the current MINISTER of CULTURE (Charles Ramson Jr.) and I hope that he could EXPAND HIS HORIZONS and understand this ONCE IN A LIFETIME OPPORTUNITY that has been handed to him.
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