Persad-Bissessar: Government scrambling for Carnival funds

Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar said on Thursday the government has shown its incompetence as it scrambles for funds for Carnival 2022.

Her comment was made hours before the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture announced the that National Carnival Commission (NCC) would be allocated a budget of $15 million, and not $25-$30 million as announced by NCC chairman Winston “Gypsy” Peters on Monday.

Persad-Bissessar questioned where the NCC would receive funding from if money was not allocated by the government.

“TT has been dealing with the consequences of the covid19 pandemic for the past two years. Yet, the government sounds like they only started planning for Carnival 2022 in the past two days,” she said.

“It appears the public outcry over the $30 million figure has prompted (Culture Minister) Randall Mitchell to backtrack and try to spin the issue.”

On Wednesday, Mitchell announced at a news conference that the Cabinet had not approved the budget announced Peters two days before.

He said during an ordinary Carnival year, before the pandemic, money is appropriated through the budgetary process and NCC given money to host Carnival activities.

Mitchell said no money was allocated for Carnival in the 2022 budget because, at the time, it was not yet determined that the hosting of Carnival would have been possible.

“How is this money being spent?” asked Persad-Bissessar.

“Where is the accountability? Is this money, as usual, going to friends, family and financiers of the government?

“The paltry production that has been proposed will not benefit those in the Carnival sector who have been unemployed over the past two years.”

She said artists, designers, producers, event managers and vendors in the industry deserve better and should not be an afterthought.

UNC MP for Moruga/Tableland, and shadow for the culture ministry, Michelle Benjamin said in a news release that the government’s handling of the Carnival budget is being done with no transparency or accountability.

“Under the façade of providing income for our creative sector workers, the government and the NCC have not yet explained how these events are going to generate revenue. People with common sense are asking what exactly the expected return on investment is.”

She accused the government of continuously disrespecting the culture and arts sector with its mismanagement.

“To make matters worse, Peters has informed the nation that $30 million is ‘nothing to spend’ and is ‘a little bit of money in the scheme of things.’

“I am sorry, but in today’s crumbling socio-economic society, $30 is a lot of money, much less for $30 million.”

Benjamin said the opposition and the public have been left confused by Mitchell’s announcement as the calendar for Carnival events has already been issued to the public.

“Without the statutory approval of the budget, the NCC has gone ahead with pod installations, infrastructure, and advertising. How can these aspects of preparation take place with no approved budget?”

She further questioned why after two budget presentations Carnival 2022 was not planned for.

“Why this clamouring one day before events are set to begin?”

She said the government is “frivolously spending” taxpayers’ dollars and questioned how the NCC will implement covid19 protocols.