Coudray wants more of Carnival pie

San Fernando mayor Mayor Marlene Coudray has criticised the National Carnival Commission (NCC) for the disparity in prize money for winners of major Carnival competitions in south Trinidad. She did so at yesterday’s news conference called to announce winners of San Fernando Carnival. Pledging an additional $100,000 to the overall prizes for bandleaders, Coudray said she was amazed to learn that of the $100 million spent on 2011 mas in T&T, only $1.3 million was allocated to San Fernando, the other city.

She added: “The NCC believes it is responsible for Port-of-Spain Carnival and not Trinidad Carnival. As far as we are aware, in San Fernando, we are the other city and we deserve to be treated with more respect in terms of our prize money.  “Approximately $1.3 million out of a budget of $100 million, we have to ask ourselves what does the NCC think about Carnival in San Fernando.” She gained the support of the Carnival stakeholders as she pledged to meet with the NCC to ensure “San Fernando gets its fair share of the Carnival pie.”

Coudray also won over the bandleaders as she committed to an additional $100,000 to the overall prize money for 2011. “I don’t know where we are getting it from as yet but we are going to boost the current prize money by $100,000. Bandleaders in San Fernando deserve no less,” she added. Band of the Year winner in San Fernando receive $74,000 if they win at all the judging points and less if they don’t.
Band of the Year in Port-of-Spain receives $200,000.