St. John’s Antigua- Culture Minister Eleston “Namba” Adams has pledged to get the ball rolling on planning for the 2012 Independence celebrations early.

The minister said in a recent interview with OBSERVER Media that “the planning should have already commenced; so very shortly the committee will start to meet and ensure that we have another outstanding presentation of Independence.”

Adams’ statement comes amid Carnival festivities that have moved into high gear with the hosting of several pre-carnival events. But the minister said he wanted the ball rolling early because the November celebrations will require a lot of planning and financial resources.

“It will also showcase the talents of our people,” he said.

“And once we have a good Independence, we will have a good Carnival too. Some of the things that are unearthed during Independence give birth to some of the performers you will see during Carnival,” the culture minister added.

He has also reiterated his view that Independence, one of the largest displays of cultural heritage, should not be placed on the back-burner.

“You cannot put culture on the back-burner. Culture is at the beginning, it is in the middle and at the end,” Adams said.

He recently expressed disappointment that when it comes to the allocation of resources the ministry of culture gets the smallest share of the budget.

Antigua gained total Independence on November 1, 1981. The celebrations consist of a week of celebration, competitions, parades, expos and food fairs for Antiguans and Barbudans here and abroad.