PNM, PDP, IDA knock THA: What is the carnival budget?

Stakeholders in Tobago are concerned about the Tobago House of Assembly's (THA) admission that a budget has yet to be finalised for the Tobago carnival, just six weeks away.

On September 10, Assistant Secretary in the THA Division of Tourism, Culture, Antiquities and Transport Nial George, responding to questions at a news conference at Shaw Park, said he could not give a figure for this year’s carnival yet.

Owing to “a lot of late buy-in and sponsorship," he said, "the budget has to be adjusted.”

George said as soon as there was a concrete figure, it would be made public.

THA Minority Leader Kelvon Morris, speaking with Newsday afterwards, said it was "unacceptable that just weeks before the 3rd Tobago carnival, the Secretary of Tourism cannot account for the cost of this year’s festivities.

"This ongoing delay and lack of clarity are stifling the festival's potential.”

The administration, Morris said, was wasting a golden opportunity, and the secretary seemed out of touch.

“Without the sacrifices of the stakeholders, who are carrying the festival with minimal THA support, the event would have collapsed.”

He said he expects increased participation this year, “but certainly not due to the THA's efforts.

“The revenue potential for Tobago Carnival is enormous, yet we still lack a clear breakdown of costs, fund allocation, and how taxpayers’ money will be spent.

"What’s behind these delays? The secretary continues to fail in her role—why is she still in the job?”

Political leader of the Innovative Democratic Alliance (IDA) Denise Tsoiafatt-Angus said her party is bemused but not surprised.

“While national Carnival has been held in Tobago for generations, the Tobago-branded Carnival in October is now in its third year.

"How can there still be no budget? This continues to underscore the ineptitude of this administration and their recurring failure in the planning process for Tobago’s festivals, which are key drivers of the island's economy.”

The IDA, Tsoiafatt-Angus said, is adamant that this delay in providing transparency to the public over the budget signals serious administrative failures and poor planning, which will inevitably lead to the risk of overspending.

“Budget creation for annual events is typically an organised and timely process, ensuring financial accountability, logistical efficiency, and appropriate allocation of resources. For well-established events like Carnival, a working template should already be in place – especially given that last year’s event was touted as a success.”

She said the IDA is cautioning that delaying the release of a budget, makes the risk of overspending exceedingly high, as ad-hoc expenditures often spiral out of control without proper financial monitoring.

“The absence of a published budget, regardless of sponsorship or last-minute announcements, reflects a troubling pattern in this administration’s handling of key events – waiting until the 11th hour to provide crucial details. The public deserves transparency and assurance that taxpayer money is being managed responsibly.”

This lack of foresight and administrative oversight, she said, hampers the opportunity to build on last year's boasted achievements and undermines confidence in the administration’s capability to perform.

A well-structured and public budget should have been the foundation for continued success, not an afterthought, Tsoiafatt-Angus said.

Political leader of the Progressive Democratic Patriots (PDP) Watson Duke said the THA believes the October carnival is a waste of financial resources.

“They are now forced to continue with something that they have rated and should have been a signature project. They are now forced to continue with it to take shame out of their own faces and own eyes. This project has flopped.”

Duke said as an elder in the Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) church and a former contract schoolteacher, Chief Secretary Farley Augustine has shocked both fraternities.

“The THA fraternity by disrupting school life and distracting children for a second time within one year with carnival – how much is that assisting schoolchildren?

"Secondly, the church fraternity, a man who loves God, this is what he is promoting. Two separate occasions for wele wele in the streets, half naked and scantily clad. He has embarrassed both the church community and the education fraternity.”

Newsday tried to contact Augustine and THA Secretary of Tourism, Culture, Antiquities and Transportation Tashia Burris, but all calls and messages went unanswered.