By Jeressa Jeremy The Member of Parliament for St Mary’s South, Kelvin Simon, has called for a radical legislative overhaul of the nation’s creative and athletic sectors.
Simon, the shadow minister for Sports and Creative Industries, outlined a policy roadmap aimed at transforming these traditionally cost-heavy departments into “cash injectors” for the national budget.
A primary focus of the proposal involves the implementation of a modern Intellectual Property (IP) framework.
Simon emphasized that Antiguan artists currently operate without the legislative protection required to secure a livelihood from their work, describing the current lack of compensation as an “insult” to those who produce the nation’s culture.
He cited a successful model from Trinidad and Tobago, where specific software and hardware were approved to track public music performances, ensuring automated royalty payments for creators.
“Trinidad started; I met with the president of that association and he would have sent to me a piece of legislation that he went to Parliament with and it was approved,” Simon stated.
“They are now in the process of putting together the software and the hardware to facilitate the drive … it’s better than getting nothing from the hard work.
I think it’s a beautiful idea.
It’s a way to protect and put value on a part of our culture.” The MP further advocated for the establishment of a regional roundtable, which he referred to as “Carnicom.
“This proposed body....
