Gerard Mendez, chairman,
Pan Trinbago Northern Region
In response to the declaration that Trinidad and Tobago’s economy is in recession, I have read several commentators and economists put forward suggestions as to how we should deal with it. In my humble view, some are practical but others are myopic.
But the common thread in all recommendations is teamwork and the need for innovation, creativity, resourcefulness and entrepreneurship where overhead expenses are minimal.
As expertly stated by Sunity Maharaj in her article of January 31, “it is high time that we review our recalcitrance and refusal to recognise, validate and support enterprise and initiative emerging from the people’s sector. We must eradicate the cultural legacy of ingrained prejudice against the grassroots economy”. Here, I am not only referring to the food court at the Queen’s Park Savannah, but also events and institutions like Carnival and Pan Trinbago.
The truth is Carnival is rooted in the people, the most significant resource of any nation, and it provides an opportunity from which all sectors of our economy benefit—from the airlines and hotels to the street vendors, the pannists, the artistes, the mas makers and the transport sector, etc. You name it!
While there is need for prudent fiscal management, Carnival should not suffer any cuts in financial allocation, but should be reviewed with the aim of increasing its participation both locally and internationally, thereby adding more revenue to the coffers of Trinidad and Tobago.
Here I challenge the Ministry of Culture and the Central Statistical Office to truly tell the nation how much revenue is derived from Carnival. It is rumoured Labour Day and Caribana bring the most revenue to the cities of New York and Toronto, respectively.
For far too long Pan Trinbago has been a victim of lip service by successive governments that refuse to recognise the power of pan and its revenue-earning possibilities.
Imagine in the land of its birth steelbands still occupy ramshackle panyards with scarce amenities and resources because they are at the mercy of governments that are so myopic that they can’t realise or take for granted the strides the fraternity has made socially, musically and internationally. They also underestimate its power to earn the much-needed foreign dollar.
In an attempt to escape this dependency syndrome and improve the lot of the pannist, Pan Trinbago did the research and applied to the last government for approval to implement a heritage lottery. I understand it was well received but certain flaws in the law (relating to the Lotteries Board) prevented it from becoming a reality. I am calling on this Government to take the necessary steps to ensure approval is granted to Pan Trinbago.
Lotteries are used as fundraising tools by civil society organisations in Germany, Spain, Ireland, Sweden, the UK, Uzbekistan, The Netherlands and more recently Slovakia. They may be either used to raise funds for the CSO itself or for other good causes. These ongoing lotteries often exist parallel to State lotteries. There should be no concern about any competition or negative impact this lottery will have on the Lotto because the Pan Trinbago lottery is intended to be international, among the countries that have signed the memorandum of understanding at the international conference and Panorama at the Queen’s Park Savannah in 2015.
The pan is a gift to the world. It is played in more than 38 nations. Thus the lottery would give the world a vehicle for participating in its further development and be the best medium for advertising Trinidad and Tobago to investors in the instrument.
There are significant benefits to Trinidad and Tobago and the pan fraternity to be derived from this initiative:
http://www.trinidadexpress.com/20160401/letters-to-the-editor/now-is-the-time-to-elevate-our-pan
Replies
Negotiate an arts and culture levy on LOTTO ticket sales. Use it to fund arts/culture projects. It has been done successfully in other Caribbean countries.
This suggests that there will always be the "gimme,gimme" attitude and walking with hands held out to government year in and year out.
... you captured the PAN CRISIS in two sentences. So many others on this forum looking for diamonds in a SMOKE SCREEN when all you have, in reality, is hands held out to the government year in and year out. Right now that whole PAN TRINBAGO EXECUTIVE is just sitting around collecting their salaries and waiting for the 2017 PANORAMA HANDOUT.
Mas bands are preparing for carnival 2017, Pan Trinbago is waiting for 2017 hand out, steelbands has to see carnival as an opportunity to make some dollars also, panorama takes them out of the loop.
Just want to add that the Art and Sports Promotion Fund in Barbados is funded by a Lotto leverage.and dispersed by a committee of cultural and sports stakeholders
Individuals and organizations can submit project proposals and receive funds for Arts and Sports projects.
Disbursement by the treasury under strict accountability guidelines.
It is a good working model .
Correction: Lotto Levy. Leverage is what use use to get your grant approved.
"They also underestimate its power to earn the much-needed foreign dollar."'
Dey recognize dis fact , and still dey talking about lottery.
Steups.
As we used to say long time , "dey kicksin"
odw, why did you choose to make this post on 1st April? There has been a lot of "asking" on behalf of the steelband over the years but we don't see any progress, we want to see progress for the steelband in the Mecca. Pan is all over the world because of what it is, please don't try to take credit for that.
Cecil, that's the date on which it was published in the Trinidad Express check out the link, credit should be given to them, I felt it was worth sharing on WST.
odw, I for one appreciate you sharing this on WST because it's only here you will find pan people pushing back. It's not business as usual, the world is looking at them. Let them share some of their plans for the steelband today.
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