Simon Proposes – By Jeressa Jeremy
Simon Proposes Intellectual Property
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 would facilitate data sharing and the trade of cultural materials—such as raw costume supplies—between Caribbean nations to reduce reliance on extra-regional imports from China or the US.
Simon argued that the current state-funded model for Carnival is a liability. He proposed that the government offer duty-free incentives to mas’ bands and seek structured investment from the hotel industry to move the festival toward a business-oriented structure.
“We have to get rid of this hypocritical mindset and see it as a business – because it’s a business – and nobody goes into business to lose,” Simon said. “If you continue to treat it as just a festival and not look at it from a business perspective where it should be bringing in money … then you’re basically shooting in the dark.”
Regarding the sports portfolio, Simon criticized the maintenance of national facilities, specifically the JSC basketball complex and local football fields. He noted that despite being in 2026, the absence of an international-standard indoor basketball facility remains a significant barrier to sports tourism.
“It’s beside me that we don’t have a proper indoor basketball facility up to now. This is 2026,” he stated. “That way, we can’t attract the type of teams and the type of interests from overseas … where they can come and train here, interact with our players, and run training camps. We have the perfect climate, the perfect landscape … but we don’t capitalize on these.”
Simon added that the export of culture—including film, fashion, and cuisine—must be prioritized over traditional goods.
He indicated that he plans to table formal proposals — including the removal of port duties for creative materials and start-up capital for small mas’ bands — during future parliamentary sessions.
