Disappointed in the management of the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport

Jan 25, 2025 Letters

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Dear Editor:

Editor, over the last four years we have seen the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport fail the people of this nation immensely. Firstly, this ministry is being mismanaged because of lack of leadership. To date, like many other ministries, we are seeing a total contempt for the citizens of our beloved Guyana.

At the level of policies, we can safely say it’s non-existent. During the 2015- 2020 period, without adequate financial resources, we were able to provide youths who, for some reason or the other, did not complete secondary school, were given the second chance that was so critical for their personal development. Skills training centres were opened to address the lack of skills of our youths; help them to become useful citizens and contribute to nation building. However, the Ministry under the stewardship of Charles Ramson Jr., closed these critical centres.

Our youths are left without a much-needed option to attain their full potential.  My heart goes out to our youths, especially those in the Angoy’s Avenue area. Piaget’s theory of cognitive development states that “learning was proceeded by the interplay of assimilation and accommodation”, hence, I expected that, given the Minister’s level of academic attainment, he would have been at the level at which Piaget would have posited, unfortunately this aspect of cognitive development is not being demonstrated.

In the 2024 budget, programme 443 – YOUTH, $987,237,000 was allocated to youths. Can the Government of Guyana, or the Ministry of Youth, Sport & Culture, enlighten the citizens of Guyana on where, and who the beneficiaries are, of the sum approved? Editor, we have seen signs of hopelessness among our youth. There is an increase in the use of Marijuana and alcohol among our youthful population, of both genders. We have seen an increase in teenage pregnancy, in large part because there is a lack of resources, whereby these young women do not see themselves as having much of a future. The truth should now be told, because of their vulnerable status the People’s Progressive Party is now using the impoverished state of our youths, as a means of getting them to participate in “Party Work”, for a few crumbs. They are also promised measly contracts, valued at the least of rewards. Here again we hear through the mass media that we do not have citizens to fill the demands for labour. I guess if we had used that same allocation for 2024, we could have had at least 1000 young people trained to fill the labour shortage, instead of hosting a job fair in Trinidad & Tobago.

In 2024 this same Minister and Ministry got under Programme 444- Sports $937,351,000, not leaving out rollover projects from 2023. Editor, this Ministry has the most unfinished projects running for years, as far back as 2016. Mind you, this is taxpayers’ money. The President in 2021 at an Emancipation Celebration in New Amsterdam, promised YOUTHS that the Burnham Park synthetic track would be completed by 2022, however, to date it is less than 60% completed. Editors imagine this was a commitment given by the Head of State, today we are still awaiting the completion of the stand for spectators.

This had started in 2022 and is yet to be completed. Imagine heavy winds blew and ripped off zinc sheets from it. As a sportsman, I believe injustice is being meted out to our Track and Field athletes and sports enthusiasts. Based on a reliable source, a reputable company provided modern designs for the bandstand, which were all rejected in favour of one from 1838, and this is for both Linden and New Amsterdam. I think if Mr. President and his Minster of Youth sports and culture have any interest in the development of young Guyanese, they will account to the people of this nation and local communities, regardless of their geographical location or their ethnicity. Editor, imagine the Minister decided to pave the track and leave the inner field incomplete! Based on reliable sources the Minister instructed the contractors to compete the asphalt on the track and leave the inner field. Is this rational? What I am seeing, is a failed project for the people of New Amsterdam. These are the same people who, ironically, were saying to us, during the Local Government Elections Campaign, that they love us in New Amsterdam.  A new stadium is being built at Palmyra, and the work on that project outsprinted the Burnham Park synthetic track.  The inner field there is completed, with the grass already planted. Editor the second layer of the asphalt will commence in February 2025. I am waiting to see how the inner field will be completed. Now the synthetic material will be laid after. This also will pose challenges for longevity of the track. The polyester material has a chemical known as Polymers. There is a life span for the use of this material. The Ministry purchased these materials over a year ago, that should be laid within six months after manufacturing. Think about what will eventually happen! Money was allocated for the fencing, parking lot and additional grandstands prior to the 2020 elections. Today we are seeing a temporary, so called, fence with plastic bags and slabs.  Is this the treatment and love for youths in sports?

Editor, we hear of millions being spent on ground enhancement by this same ministry. I will like these projects to be highlighted to the nation on their status. In Region #6, for example, I travelled from Mara to Crabwood Creek. I have not seen any new ground that young people can use, except the traditional cricket grounds. All other community grounds are in a deplorable state and cannot be utilised by our youths by day or night. It is even worst across the region. Despite the billions being allocated and boosted about at press conferences.

When the Minister with responsibility for Finance has to visit grounds and make on the spot decisions concerning community playgrounds, this signals the level of sadness of affairs surrounding youths under the current Ministry of Youth Sports & Culture. Just a gentle reminder that Guyana successfully hosted the CBC Under 16 Basketball Competition at the Cliff Anderson Sport Hall, and it was rated as one of the best tournaments under a transformed Environment. Thanks to Nigel Hinds and the National Sports Commission, under Christopher Jones.

We the citizens deserve better, for our youths to develop their latent talents. The Minister needs to develop policies which are geared towards developing our youths, until they reach their full potential. Billions are spent, and we deserve better! Better than the small islands of our sister Caribbean States which only depend on the sun, sand and sea!

Yours sincerely,

Kirk Fraser

(Deputy Mayor, New Amsterdam)

(Disappointed in the management of the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport)

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• adequate financial resources, lack of leadership, Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport

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