HGP Nightly News – Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Charles Ramson Jr., has defended the government’s record of investment in the creative and sporting sectors, responding to opposition critiques that the 2026 budget neglects these areas.
The Minister’s remarks followed a presentation by WIN MP Odessa Primus, who argued that a reduced budget allocation and a lack of structural support amounted to promoting “poverty” for artists and failing the nation’s youth. In rebuttal, Minister Ramson Jr. stated that numerous concrete initiatives have been implemented over the past five years to provide direct support.
“A budget is more than just a headline number; it’s about the programs it funds and the people it reaches,” the Minister stated, indirectly addressing the opposition’s focus on the allocation total. He pointed to the Cultural and Creative Industry Grant launched in 2021 as a key example, through which $120 million was distributed to hundreds of individuals working in film, fashion, music, literature, and digital media.
On sports, Ramson Jr. highlighted substantial investments in facility development and direct support for athletes’ training and international competition participation.
Looking forward, the Minister signaled upcoming legislative action, noting that amendments to the National Trust Act have been completed. “That Bill is now ready, and it will now help us with the preservation of our culture and our heritage,” he stated, directly engaging with the opposition’s call for better mechanisms to honor and preserve Guyana’s cultural legacy.
The exchange underscores a fundamental debate in the budget proceedings: whether fiscal success is measured by the scale of a ministry’s headline allocation or by the specific, direct programs it delivers to beneficiaries within the sector.
