sent to my band's email address.
Did Pan Trinbago lose their drum factory?
By Aquil Arrindell
So in March 2015, the first steel was brought to Pan Trinbago’s pan factory based in Macoya. Before that, a memorandum of understanding was signed by the University of the West Indies(UWI) and Pan Trinbago(PT) where an agreement was made to split the payment on the rent. UWI’s part was research and development on the components of a special steel which would be ideal for the instrument (the steelpan) and PT’s responsibilities would include patenting the special alloy and promoting it as the best drum for making the instrument.
Prior to all of that, in the same year, the financial advisor and the executive revealed that they had a plan that would make all steelband leaders rich. The financial advisor showed bandleaders the cost of a steel pan in the US compared to Trinidad. He then rolled out plans to manufacture pans worldwide using the drum factory as the centre of the million-dollar money making plan and a heritage lotto which never got off the ground.
Over 25 million dollars of panmen and taxpayers money was spent for the International Conference and Panorama which was used as the tool to get the world on board by setting
up an International Steelband Association (ISA). Check When Steel Talks website for An average of $25,627,000.00 to set up the I.A.S and no benefits for Trinidad and Tobago’s citizens or steel bands,
for futher information. Over twenty countries signed a MOU which was used as a tool of information gathering about the world’s steelpan market size. After one year of the MOU only four countries signed to be a part of the ISA, which only lasted about a month before those countries started pulling out due to the alleged corrupt actions of the executive members. The association was also going to be the driven by profits from the steelpan factory.
Pan Trinbago set up a board which had the responsibility of managing the drum factory and its profits. Reports are that two shipments of steel came to Trinidad and at present we cannot get any drums to buy because the steel ran out, which means, the drums are selling. But PT has no money to bring in the third shipment. So I ask again, where are the profits going? It is alleged that the reason the PT lost the factory is because they were not paying their half of the rent. So I am compelled to ask again, where are the profits going?
Based on reports, an eviction notice was sent. Representatives of UWI took the initiative to approach the Minister of Trade for a bailout. She agreed under the condition to set up a new board to run the business of the pan factory. On this new board, PT would have the option to send a representative. So now, the question is, if we don’t have control of the drum factory how the “get rich plans for all bandleaders” going to pan out? Or was there ever really a “get rich plan for all bandleaders”. Or was it just a selling point to get band leaders to agree to invest PT money in yet another failed project? What is not alleged is that a small group of people are getting hundreds of thousands every year of our money whether these project they propose are successes or, so far 100% of the time, failures.
Bandleaders, as owners in the organization PT, what did you gain from all this? Where are the dividends on your investment? And most of all, why are we still entertaining these managers and not firing them with immediate effect.
The CIP says “love in the house”.
Sign the petition.
Document of the Concern Individuals for Pan
Replies
Aquil: Here you go again making up lies about THE RIGHT HONOURABLE KEITH DIAZ and his MANAGERS. The MINISTER OF CULTURE just hired KEITH DIAZ and his MANAGERS to run PANORAMA 2018 handing over 22 MILLION TAX PAYERS $$$$$ to this group.
These PAN TRINBAGO GLOBAL LEADERS OF STEELPAN have to be all HONOURABLE and HONEST MEN or the MINISTER OF CULTURE would never put them is a position of POWER where they can SKIM PROFITS off the backs of hard-practicing PAN MEN.
Furthermore, if your accusations were credible the BANDLEADERS would have signed that petition months ago and KEITH DIAZ would have been driving a TAXI instead of sitting in PRIVATE MEETINGS with the NCC and the MINISTER OF CULTURE (and now you say the MINISTER OF TRADE) making plans to EXPLOIT PAN MEN again this coming PANORAMA.
What is your problem, Mr. Mercer? We getting we PANORAMA and that is all that is IMPORTANT to everybody. After the PANORAMA is over we will start screaming about the CORRUPTION in PAN TRINBAGO and we will promise to get rid of the CORRUPT EXECUTIVE in October 2018. But who will run the NEXT PANORAMA if we vote out KEITH DIAZ? So Doctor Dolly better make another deal again with KEITH DIAZ right after the election to RUN PANORAMA 2019.
Now, a visionary PAN POLITICS ANALYST has long predicted that THE RIGHT HONOURABLE KEITH DIAZ will run PAN TRINBAGO until 2020. And then THE NEW VISIONARIES tell him that he wrong and then Bryon Serrette tell him that he wrong and then BUGS come on the forum and tell him that he wrong and then Mark Basant bus' some mark on the corruption and then tell him that he wrong and then the CIP (THE MIGHTY CIP) come on the forum and tell him that he wrong and then the MINISTER OF CULTURE tell him that she go prove him wrong after she release the FORENSIC AUDIT REPORT in September 2018 -- for true for true ... all ah dem was sure that dey go take KEITH DIAZ down.
But then the Minister of Culture call KEITH DIAZ into a private meeting this October just gone and tell the man that nobody eh taking him down and she want him to run PANORAMA 2018. This time Gregory Lindsay living in Trinidad (but completely out of the POLITICAL LOOP) running around town swearing he go take KEITH DIAZ down while at the very same minute the MINISTER OF CULTURE writing a BIG CHECK for 22 MILLION to the JACK WARNER of PAN. Of course all that backroom dealing would not have caught a STRONG LEADER by surprise so we have to conclude that Gregory Lindsay is "---- LEADER" (fill in the blanks like ah crossword puzzle, Mercer).
You would think that with all the NEGATIVE GLOBAL (and local) PRESS Pan Trinbago getting over their CORRUPT LEADERSHIP that any MINISTER with a little bit of conscience would intervene and put an end to this SHAMEFUL SITUATION.
Instead the man line up to get a promotion to ah next board in the MINISTRY OF TRADE.
Truth be told, I am kind of DEPRESSED. Now I know why we have an OPIOID crisis in this country -- AH NEED AH NEW DRUG!!!
Claude - so ever since You, Glenroy, MJ and Kobe convince Kyrie to leave Lebron (the greatest ball player of all time) and head to Boston, you have been doing the happy dance. Ooops, wrong discussion - please ignore.
Claude I have noticed that Rolly Polly hasn't taken a picture with him smiling in quite a long time. This wouldn't have anything to do with his reservation at the Club Jail resort? Just asking.
bugs
Claude, I'd love to be in a taxi driven by the world's greatest politician .... I would asked to be dropped off at 14-17 Park Street, just for a laugh