Unofficial Golden Jubilee launch cost $10M – Minister Henry

50th Independence anniversary

BY EDWARD LAYNE

The Old Year’s night unofficial launch of the calendar of activities to mark Guyana’s 50th year as an

inister with the Education Ministry’s Department of Culture, Youth and Sport Nicolette Henry

independent nation has cost some $10 million, Minister with the Education Ministry’s Department of Culture, Youth and Sport Nicolette Henry has confirmed.
Speaking to Guyana Times on Tuesday, Minister Henry confirmed that the event was funded from the public coffers.
She explained that the accounts department of the Ministry is still tabulating the books and as such, a comprehensive report will be available “by close of play this week.”
There are scores of activities planned in and outside of Guyana to mark the country’s 50th Independence during the course of 2016, including a number of concerts similar to the Old Year’s night launch.
However, member of the National Commemoration Committee Bobby Vieira told this publication that the bulk of the local celebrations will take place from May 15-31.
Meanwhile, Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo has confirmed that the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) will participate in the observances, but added that their participation will be limited to state functions and “low cost” celebratory events.
“We will participate in activities to commemorate our 50th anniversary. What we will do, we will participate in those State functions, not the bacchanal. We want to celebrate too, but we are not going to do this like it’s designed to rape the treasury. We have celebrated in the past without using up all the money from the treasury… We don’t want to get involved in that sort of thing that will use the resources of our treasury in an extravagant and wanton way. We will participate in State activities and tastefully low cost celebrations,” Jagdeo told a news conference last Thursday.

Transparency and
accountability
Meanwhile, Jagdeo said already there is confusion over who are the organisers of the events as there are significant questions about accountability, even before the celebrations actually begin.
“We have a total lack of transparency about spending in relation to this issue. We have advisers overseas who claim they are collecting money on behalf of the Government to celebrate 50th anniversary of our independence; you have a Minister who is involved, you have a person who claims he is involved overall, not the Minister. We are not sure about the activities, we are not sure about the legal firm they hired in New York, how much that firm is paid to celebrate our independence, why can’t they give it to the people is Brooklyn, the Queens and the Bronx if they want to do that?… we are not sure how much money will be spent on the partying here,” Jagdeo said.
Last year, Guyana celebrated its independence with a massive inauguration ceremony of President David Granger at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence, East Bank Demerara, which has still left a number of unanswered questions regarding the cost involved, and who actually financed the activities.