Young: 2-day crime symposium cost $3.4m

Energy Minister and Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister Stuart Young said the original cost of the two-day Caricom crime symposium, hosted by this country, given by the Prime Minister, did not include the “associated expenses” of the symposium.

On April 26 in the House of Representatives, Dr Rowley fielded questions from the Opposition on several matters including the cost of the April 17 and 18 conference held at the Hyatt Regency in Port of Spain. At that time, he said the cost was "only $1.5 million" and not $15 million as suggested by Naparima MP Rodney Charles.

But during the Standing Finance Committee on Friday, Young said an extra $1.8 million was part of other expenses that supported the conference, which was not previously calculated.

“The total cost estimated at this stage (for the symposium) is $3.4 million. The $1.5 million (given by the PM) is the direct cost for the symposium. These other costs are: invitations $5,000; dinner, $60.000; team uniforms, $25,000; an event planner $140,000; display of NGOs $50,000; website content development $100,000; social media/media monitoring $100,000; photography and video editing $200,000; set design banners, signage etc $800,000; meals for the secretariat $50,000; co-ordinator for the national secretariat, $30,000; and a contingency amount of $300,000 which may or may not have been used.”

The two-day Caricom special symposium addressed crime as a public health issue and saw prime ministers from several Caricom nations in attendance.