Durrant Pate/Contributor

Opposition Leader Mark Golding has gone to the wicket again at parliament for Reggae music pioneer Bob Marley and cultural Icon, Louise Bennet Coverley, better known as Ms Lou, to be made National Heroes.

Delivering his 2026/27 Budget Debate presentation in parliament yesterday, Golding repeated his call made last year for the two to be accorded Jamaica’s highest national honour, noting that he has been making this call over the last two years.

His latest call comes against the backdrop that in recent months Jamaica has had to say farewell to too many of our cultural icons, such as Jimmy Cliff, who helped to make reggae music an international genre, great musicians such as Sly Dunbar and Cat Coore, Max Romeo and Cocoa Tea.

Golding told the House of Representatives, “Bob Marley is not just Jamaica’s most famous musician; he is a global symbol of One Love, unity and resistance to oppression in all its forms. His legacy continues to grow and inspire all peoples of the World. He is deserving of our highest national honour. His 80th birthday has passed, and the Government must act.”

Regarding Miss Lou, the Opposition Leader hailed her “pioneering performances and poetry in the Jamaican language provided deeper consciousness and self-affirmation of our cultural identity, and uplifted our national confidence. She should be recognised as our second female National Heroine.”

In building back better, he called on the Government of Jamaica to “ensure that our artists, musicians and creatives have access to financing, training and markets. Right now, they are too often on their own. We would establish a $1 billion revolving Creative Economy Fund to support our creative practitioners in entertainment, the arts, fashion and culture. Investing in our globally-competitive cultural assets would build back betta than before.”

Citing the current system for obtaining permits for entertainment events as fragmented, frustrating and often unfair, especially in communities that are stigmatised, Golding said the system needs to be made simple, transparent and fair.

He questioned why haven’t the government fixed this, saying, “We need less talk and more action. Our plan would establish a single-window, one-stop permit system for entertainment event applications. We will build back the cultural economy betta than before, because when we invest in our culture, we nourish the heart and soul of Jamaica.”