Import duties on cameras

I was surprised a couple days ago when a government official bemoaned the lack of creativity and of aesthetic pursuit in the general population. He also bemoaned the lack of environmental sensitivity of the public at large. Given the school curriculum at primary level and the general non-emphasis of anything aesthetic in general by the government, I thought the answers should have been self-evident.

It does not take a genius to realise, upon closer examination of the nation's youth, that something has gone very wrong with childhood development in the critical years between ages 3 to 8. When the damage becomes manifest in the later years, oftentimes it cannot be undone. This applies not only to the criminally inclined, but to even academically accomplished individuals at University level. There is evidence being accumulated by UWI psychiatry research that sociopathic behaviour, to varying degrees, is highly prevalent in the society. Needless to say: we got big problems.

The pursuit of art and the aesthetic have always formed the foundation of the greatest civilizations. A cultural identity is established through works of art, be it painting, sculpting, poetry, music etc. Similarly, cultural identity drives the morphology of art. Yes, we have our cultural identity. We have our calypso and steelband and Carnival. However, there seems to be a pervading sense that the culture we portray to outsiders on specified dates in the year is "jus' a show". How much of our culture is merely tailored to give foreigners something that they expect to see? How much of our culture is a commercial venture? Do we live our culture or do we just pull it out of the closet a couple times a year? Is the culture evident on Frederick Street as it is on a cobblestone path in Rabat, Morocco or Tuscany, Italy for instance? Both this and the preceding paragraph can be the subject of much debate and research. I'm just mentioning these things because, well, I'm in a bad mood.

Now what on earth do these rantings have to do with camera import duties? For one thing, if the government is concerned about societal aesthetic deprivation, maybe they can do something to retard its growth. Removing or substantially reducing the import duties on cameras is a step in that direction. It is just amazing what your typical 8 year old can do with a camera. Give a child a simple camera, some film, and ask her (or him) to take pictures of anything that strikes his or her fancy for a week. When you develop the film, out of the pile will be a couple photographs that will be simply stunning. Children see the world in most unique ways! Moreover, you would have engendered in that child an acquired sensitivity to nature, both human and in its implied broader sense.

To do photography well requires some basic technical knowledge, the camera, ancillary equipment like tripod, exposure meter etc., and the raw material - film. There are no cameras in Trinidad worth my time or money in purchasing. Hence everything must come from abroad. I am slowly recovering from my latest camera part upgrade, not only from the cost and freight of the part, but the horrific customs duty courtesy The Government of Trinidad & Tobago. Apparently cameras are classified as "luxury items". That is, camera ownership is deemed appropriate only for rich people. The camera part had a list price of $10,000.TT for which I paid almost $5,000.TT in duty. That is almost 50% customs duty and V.A.T. compared to, for example, a camera customs duty of 2% in the United States. I didn't get much sympathy from the customs officials. Indeed, I received a fair share of thinly veiled contempt. "What a wastrel to spend so much money on a CAMERA!" or,  "You take pretty pictures with it?" Okay, maybe not so thinly veiled. Most people in Trinidad, including some of whom I always hope would understand, would say the same things. "He like expensive toys, let him pay the duty!". Trinidadians sometimes have an unerring ability to make me believe that I REALLY am wasting my time and money.

There are many who will argue that photography is not art. Irrespective of the prevailing views, it, at the very least, gives me freedom to express something of my 'artistic' side. Photography allows the viewer to see Trinidad in a slightly different way, in a slightly different reality, through my eyes. I, sadly, meet so many people who are hugely perplexed by what I do. Quite a few view my antics in the field, with an antique camera, as a silly, pointless, and expensive exercise. Are we 'developing' to a point where the pursuance of art stokes the contempt of others? I reiterate: we got big problems.

I know there are people out there trying to change things, but it is hard to hear them over the cacophony of the babbling brood. I hope things change soon, it's not because I care, it's because I want to buy a new lens!