Pan Trinbago: We respect Cabinet's decision

PanTrinbago: We respect Cabinet’s decision

Saturday, December 25 2010

PanTrinbago says it “respects” Cabinet’s decision to pay an $800 Panorama performance fee in 2011, rather than $1,000 as was the practice since 2008.

In a statement issued yesterday afternoon, following a closed-door meeting of the executive at the association’s headquarters on Park Street, Port-of-Spain, PanTrinbago said it “has heard and respects the Cabinet decision which states that the payment for the preliminary round stage of Panorama shall be $800.”

However, the association expressed concern about a betrayal of its trust by Minister of Arts and Multiculturalism, Winston ‘Gypsy’ Peters.

On Monday December 20, both parties met to discuss Peters’ proposal of an $800 fee and a Government-sponsored $2 million first prize according to PanTrinbago. The minister also suggested that PanTrinbago should use the $1 million it would have given to the Panorama winner to make up the deficit in the usual $1,000 fee.

In yesterday’s statement, PanTrinbago said it felt betrayed because Peters failed to respect their agreement “not to go to the press until an agreement was reached. However, by 2 pm on the same day the minister was on a radio programme stating that PanTrinbago had agreed to the $800. (Peters) therefore has betrayed a simple trust and misrepresented the facts, both to Cabinet and the public at large.”

In light of this, PanTrinbago has decided to hold an emergency general meeting at City Hall in PoS on Thursday December 30, “to discuss and make decisions on Panorama 2011.” The association also indicated no further statements would be made to the media before Tuesday December 28, “in the spirit of the season (Christmas).”

Meanwhile, PanTrinbago member and former minister in the Ministry of Culture under the previous administration, Junior Regrello, has said Peters should have consulted PanTrinbago before coming up with his proposal.

“While I abide by PanTrinbago’s statement, my concern is with the $2 million first prize. What about the second and third place bands in Panorama? I think second place is getting $750,000. That’s a big gap. It might have been better to (allocate) $1 million to second place and $750,000 to third. It would have been better to leave the existing structure as is for now. Why attempt to raise the first prize (purse) if the ministry doesn’t have money to pay players $1,000? I think (Peters’) election promise to raise cultural prizes, including Panorama to $2 million, was premature,” Regrello said.

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Somehow this feels like capitulation by the Pan Representation body and giving in too easy to the dictates of the Government. On the Government's part ..how can you say on an election promise that you are increasing the coffers of the Pan for 2011 by giving $2million to the winning band and now in the next breath you are decreasing the earnings of the ordinary Pan man / Pan woman by $200 by reducing their earnings from $1000. 00 to $800.00. Where is the justification in this action. How can you defend giving the same $2million to an individual artist of Calypso, Soca and Chutney. while the Pan has 120 players for the winning band. What is the economic intake by the country due to each Art form from the Carnival season? Does each art form bring in the same amount of foreign currency? . What about the local generated incomes from each art form during the Carnival period including the six weeks leading up to the Final events. This type of policy seeks to divide not unite. Our problem is not against the Calypso or Soca or Chutney. Our problem is against this bad rational of the Government and in this case there is no equity. The international Pan Community is calling on the government of T&T to rethink their position on this issue. The reality is that they should be increasing the $1000.00 to the ordinary Pannist. This is a good social service to the country, because these 10-15 thousand active pan players are not causing problems for the country in terms of criminal activities instead they are boosting the economy with six weeks of practice session prior to the final events. check the Transport and Food industries who benefit from this exercise. Support the National instrument of the Country of Trinidad & Tobago

Replies

Salah Wilson December 25, 2010 at 2:53pm

Somehow this feels like capitulation by the Pan Representation body and giving in too easy to the dictates of the Government. On the Government's part ..how can you say on an election promise that you are increasing the coffers of the Pan for 2011 by giving $2million to the winning band and now in the next breath you are decreasing the earnings of the ordinary Pan man / Pan woman by $200 by reducing their earnings from $1000. 00 to $800.00. Where is the justification in this action. How can you defend giving the same $2million to an individual artist of Calypso, Soca and Chutney. while the Pan has 120 players for the winning band. What is the economic intake by the country due to each Art form from the Carnival season? Does each art form bring in the same amount of foreign currency? . What about the local generated incomes from each art form during the Carnival period including the six weeks leading up to the Final events. This type of policy seeks to divide not unite. Our problem is not against the Calypso or Soca or Chutney. Our problem is against this bad rational of the Government and in this case there is no equity. The international Pan Community is calling on the government of T&T to rethink their position on this issue. The reality is that they should be increasing the $1000.00 to the ordinary Pannist. This is a good social service to the country, because these 10-15 thousand active pan players are not causing problems for the country in terms of criminal activities instead they are boosting the economy with six weeks of practice session prior to the final events. check the Transport and Food industries who benefit from this exercise. Support the National instrument of the Country of Trinidad & Tobago
- Bugs > Salah Wilson December 26, 2010 at 10:08am
  
  Salah this is beyond capitulation. It is a total selling out of the Trinidad and Tobago pan fraternity. I expect Pan Trinbago to blame their membership. But it is the job of leadership to educator their followers on the correct steps to take at critical moments. Pan Trinbago has again failed badly, but this does not take away from the merit and correctness of your argument.
  
  bugs
  - lydia millet > Bugs December 26, 2010 at 7:42pm
    
    If the leader is weak what do you expect of the rest of the organization??? More weakness! Pan in danger under this President.Keith Deass. Please go.
- kelvin gill > Salah Wilson December 25, 2010 at 5:02pm
  
  In my opinion the lesson that is being learnt here is The organization of pan trinbago needs to become more sophisticated when presenting their proposals to the government, research is most important. their mission statement has to be changed.justification is required from the stakeholders eg govt, as to how tax dollars are spent.as it stands they are being pushed around because their are no rational to their existence.the leadership is sadly lacking...The minister is also lacking for such an important portfolio.

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