Chutney Soca funding cut by 90 per cent

SEETA PERSAD

In light of the the National Carnival Commission’s allocation for Carnival 2018, promoter of the Chutney Soca Monarch (CSM), George Singh says CSM continues to get very little financial support from the government.

“This year NCC will see a reduction of 14 per cent. This means from $168.5M in 2017, they will get $147.5M,” Singh said, noting that from this amount, Pan Trinbago, Trinbago Unified Calypso Organization (TUCO) and the National Carnival Bands Associations will be the biggest beneficiaries. Chairman of NCC, Colin Lucas announced that there will be major cut-backs for this year’s Carnival.

On this topic, Singh said that over the last three years, the funding by the PNM administration to Chutney Soca Monarch has been reduced by 90% to less than $1million. With just eight days to go before the semi-finals of CSM, (January 13) Singh says it is totally biased and unfair that CSM gets a fraction of what is being offered to Soca Monarch.

“In 2017, the Soca Monarch received 66% more funds than the Chutney Soca Monarch. And it is clear that the Chutney Soca Monarch has grown by leaps and bounds on par with Soca Monarch,” Singh said, adding that the two competition play major roles in Carnival each year. “Why is there no equality in this country where every creed and race is supposed to have an equal place,” he asked.

Singh said it seems that this present administration is hell-bent on making sure that CSM is out of this year’s Carnival.