The New Democratic Party administration has aborted a multi-million-dollar project conceived by the former Ralph Gonsalves government to build four cultural, educational, and production hubs.
Prime Minister Friday informed Parliament that the funds have been diverted for the construction of a centre of arts and culture.
“… I looked at this and I said, ‘We have learning resource centres all over the country, and one thing that they have in common is they’re all in a state of disrepair, or they are not being used properly’,” Friday told lawmakers as he presented the 2026 Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure on Jan. 29.
“So, I saw this as another example of putting things here and there, because they look good, but they don’t actually function well,” the prime minister said.
“So, the decision was made that we were going to consolidate them, repurpose the funds, and have a true Centre for the Arts and Culture in this country that will serve the entire population.”
The hubs were to be built at Belle Vue in North Central Windward, the site of the decommissioned deep water harbour in Kingstown, and Petit Bordel and Troumaca in North Leeward.
The prime minister told Parliament that a Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Centre of Excellence listed as a capital project in the 2026 estimates is to be turned into the centre of arts and culture.
A TVET centre provides specialised, practical skills training to prepare students for specific trades, technical careers, and entrepreneurship, bridging the gap between education and industrial needs.
These institutions often offer industry-certified programmes, such as National Vocational Qualification — a work-based qualification that validates an individual’s practical skills and competence in a specific job role; or the Caribbean Vocational Qualification — a regionally recognised, competency-based certification representing skills achieved in specific occupational areas, and certifies that an individual can perform to CARICOM-approved standards. to enhance employability in fields like technology, services, and vocational trades.
The prime minister said the TVET centre project should “be reflected as a centre of excellence for arts and culture.
“We could change the name and so forth later but that is really what it was intended to be,” he said.
Friday said an arts and culture centre “has been lacking for so long”, adding, “and that is what we intend to do”.
He said the funds allocated in the estimates were to initiate the consultancy process.
Funding for the hubs was secured by the Gonsalves administration through a multi-purpose soft loan of US$66 million (EC$178 million) from the Saudi Fund for Development, in two tranches: US$16 million (EC$43.2 million) in mid-2023 and US$50 million (EC$135 million) in April 2024. The GOSVG will provide counterpart funding of US$9 million or EC$24.3 million.
The loans are for 20 years, with a five-year grace period, at a fixed rate of 2% annually.
Part of the first tranche (EC$43.2 million) of the loan was to construct the educational and production hub at Belle Vue and two satellite hubs in North Leeward.
The project focused on certain aspects of culture, such as crafts and folk art, painting and design, film and acting, literature and media arts, and music. The hubs were scheduled to be constructed between 2024 and 2026.
The site locations had already been identified and contracts had been awarded for design, preparation of bills of quantities, and for construction supervision.
An Italian company was selected to design the Belle Vue Hub, and two local firms were contracted to design the Troumaca and Petit Bordel satellite hubs.
Initially, construction work was scheduled to commence in October 2024.
We must try to avoid awarding contracts to foreigners. SVG probably has capable individuals who can do the required jobs.