Prime Min­is­ter Kam­la Per­sad-Bisses­sar and Arts and Mul­ti­cul­tur­al­ism Min­is­ter Win­ston Pe­ters on Thurs­day pre­sent­ed the na­tion­al di­rec­tor for the Miss Trinidad and To­ba­go Uni­verse fran­chise, Ian Lee, and fran­chise di­rec­tor for Miss Trinidad and To­ba­go World, Michael Ra­goo­nanan, with cheques rep­re­sent­ing the Gov­ern­ment's con­tri­bu­tion to sup­port­ing the ef­forts of the re­spec­tive del­e­gates in the up­com­ing com­pe­ti­tions.

A state­ment from the Of­fice of the Prime Min­is­ter said the funds from the Sport and Cul­ture Fund would be used by Lee Ann Forbes, Miss T&T World, and Gabrielle Wal­cott, Miss T&T Uni­verse, to off­set ex­pens­es for their re­spec­tive trips. It said chair­man of the board of man­age­ment for the Sport and Cul­ture Fund, Pe­ter Kan­hai, was al­so present at the hand­ing-over cer­e­mo­ny. Wal­cott has al­ready left for Brazil where the Miss Uni­verse com­pe­ti­tion will be held on the Sep­tem­ber 12, while Forbes will trav­el to Lon­don in No­vem­ber for the Miss World pageant which is to be held on No­vem­ber 6.