Grand Bahama, Bahamas July 20, 2017 — The Minister of Youth, Sport & Culture Micheal Pintard has said that the Government will pay half of the registration fees for NGOs focused on cultural work.
Pintard made the statements at a meeting of cultural leaders at the Bishop Michael Eldon School on Saturday. Those present at the meeting included artisans, dance and drama performers and Junkanoo leaders. Pintard said that the creative industries is the fastest-growing sector in most countries and The Bahamas was behind in this industry. He said: “Those are the areas that are rapidly growing, multi, trillion dollar industries around the world. The Bahamas is one of those developing countries that have not yet gotten the memo. So, we have to change that.”
He encouraged cultural practitioners to legally register their organizations and pledged government’s assistance with this process. “Half-way for us means that we are prepared to bring in house two attorneys who will sit in a room with those of you who have paper work completed to assist you in getting incorporated,” he added.
Saying that it is important to monetize certain aspects of culture and talent, Pintard also told attendees that registration would open doors to them for international funding. “This will dramatically drive your cost down. Our goal is to make sure that all of you are properly registered, which will open up the doors for you to go out there and apply for funding for your product or your organization. Being registered will allow you to seek funding from overseas as well.”
