Rodrigues hints at ‘reforms’ to protect creative industry 

Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce Susan Rodrigues said the Irfaan Ali-led administration is prepared to further support Guyanese creatives as part of efforts to make their sector more lucrative. 

“Our government is prepared to pursue legal and regulatory reforms to protect creative industry assets and encourage investment,” Rodrigues said on Thursday night at the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s annual awards presentation and gala dinner at the Marriott Hotel. 

With this intention, Rodrigues encouraged the business support organisation to identify emerging opportunities in the creative sector that would enable its members to make sound investments. 

A modern copyright law is among the reforms local creatives have been seeking for years. Guyana currently uses the 1956 British Copyright Act.

Last year, Vice President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo said the country’s “historic” position on copyright laws may have to change, and Guyana should now embrace modern copyright laws to protect local creatives and intellectual property.

“I believe our artistes should be protected. I hope that we can advance it.

“I think it’s time actually that we start strengthening our platform because the economy is becoming more modern and we need new types of business,” Jagdeo said at a People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) press conference. 

The Vice President also said he strongly supports the protection of locals.

On copyright that affects foreign material, Jagdeo believes that locals now have a higher disposable income and have already embraced ventures that require paid access to content. Such ventures include streaming sites like Netflix. So he contended that his views on copyright, or the lack thereof, have now changed.