“Carnival 2017 will be a success” is the assurance given this week by Minister of Community Development, the Arts and Culture Dr Nyan Gadsby-Dolly in the wake of the 2016-2017 Budget presented last week Friday by Finance Minister Colm Imbert, referring to expected reductions to the transfer of subsidies to statutory bodies, specifically as this pertains to culture.
With Carnival 2017 a mere five months away, the Culture Minister sounded upbeat when she added: “There are a couple of new initiatives we are currently discussing. We have been through revisions before and carnival has survived. There is no cause for concern, like everything else, we now have to count our costs and ensure that the money we spend is impactful.”
With reference to next year’s Carnival, the minister continued: “The allocation to the National Carnival Commission (NCC) has been reduced as the NCC no longer has a loan, which was a substantial amount to the allocation made in the 2015-2016 budget.”
An area of concern within the steelband fraternity for the past few months has been the non-payment of money by Pan Trinbago to pan musicians for performing at the 2016 National Panorama competition. The minister explained: “Pan Trinbago receives a sum of money from the NCC to manage Panorama. With regards to their internal affairs and finances, how they pay out money is strictly to the remit of Pan Trinbago.
“Pan Trinbago has to organise its finances based on the 2016-2017 subvention from the NCC and that has not been decided as yet. We intend doing that pretty early to ensure that they can then consider how they will service their outstanding debts and the arrangements they will make for Carnival 2017. I have been in constant communication with Pan Trinbago sensitizing them to the fact that their allocation will most likely be reduced in keeping with the general reduction of expenditure that the government has embarked upon.”
http://www.guardian.co.tt/lifestyle/2016-10-14/culture-bodies-have-make-do-2017
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The minister explained: “Pan Trinbago receives a sum of money from the NCC to manage Panorama. With regards to their internal affairs and finances, how they pay out money is strictly to the remit of Pan Trinbago.
In local vernacular: We give Keith Diaz the money and what Keith Diaz choose to do with the money is Diaz business.
I found that statement very enlightening too Claude...according to Pantrinbago the government still "owes" panmen $20 M....according to the minister all monies passed already...?...
Allyuh does like people tu spell out tings fuh yuh eh?! An still allyuh does get on as tho allyuh doh hear!
It's a sad day for pan players, they have been"bamboozled" Organize for 2017 so it won't happen again.
If I am not mistaken , we've been saying this for a while.
That this may happen because of economic conditions in T&T, and pan people have to seek sources of income besides the government.
But nobody wants to hear that , or explore other options besides the status quo.
So , as they say ,"it is what it is".
Pan Players have to demand that they are paid first, period. The people that's supposed to look after pan people are the one that's taking advantage. SAD.
Poor pan players it ain't lookin like they gettin paid for 2016, the Government is saying they have nothing to do with how Pan Trinbago pay out money .
Cecil, during the past number of years, there was to many pan players jumping from band to band killing what panorama competition stood for, their only justification was 'to eat ah food'. Hopefully with less funding, there can be some loyalty brought back to steel-bands during the competitions.
NCC chairman Kenny de Silva said "I wish to emphasise that the SIGs will receive the same money they received for 2016 Carnival" So if pan players do not get pay for 2016 how will they get pay in 2017 with the same allocation of money.
Our challenge is that we will have to negotiate with suppliers for goods and services for Carnival 2017 and hope to get their understanding that this is what we have. I am confident that they will assist us as most of them are long serving suppliers for carnival.
Keith Diaz will just have to negotiate more with the service providers -- paying them less and receiving LESS KICKBACKS than he normally does every year.
Life is not fair!!! Less and Less money for Diaz and his boys to teef around the carnival time. This new Rowley government sure making things hard on this PAN TRINBAGO administration.
Like this Doctor Dolly can't speak in normal English: We cutting back allyuh money this 2016-2017season. End of story!!!