Panmen upset as NCC takes control of Pan Trinbago

PAN men were yesterday expressing anger at the decision by the National Carnival Commission (NCC) to take control of Pan Trinbago’s operations for the next three years.

A memorandum of understanding was signed on Tuesday evening between the NCC which is headed by chairman Winston Gypsy Peters and president of Pan Trinbago Keith Diaz and treasurer Andrew Salvador. Pan Trinbago’s secretary Richard Forteau allegedly refused to affix his signatiture in opposition to the documents.

Pan men told Newsday that terms of the deal will reportedly see the NCC cover outstanding debts for Panorama 2018 and call the shots for the staging of the National Panorama Competition in every category going forward. Further, the state agency will also be responsible for the monthly payment of staff. It is alleged that staff has not been paid for five months.

However former PRO of Pan Trinbago, Milton Wire Austin, said this is a retroactive step. He said when they formed NCC in 1971 it was with the intention to break free from the NCC. He said during the term of UNC then Culture Minister Dr Daphne Phillip advocated for the pan body to become self sufficient.

As a result, Wire said, while government sponsored the prize money, the pan body collected the gate receipts.

“Now under this minister Dr Nyan Gadsby-Dolly, we getting nothing. Pan Trinbago has been left out in the cold. They have beaten us like an old rag,” Wire said.