Almost 40 per cent of the budget allocated to the National Carnival Commission (NCC) for Carnival 2014 will be spent on clearing its $115 million deficit.This was revealed during the launch yesterday of Carnival 2014 by special adviser to the Minister of Arts and Multiculturalism Edward Metivier.Arts Minister Lincoln Douglas did not attend the event as he was in Parliament.
In a speech at the VIP Lounge of the Queen's Park Savannah, Port-of-Spain, Metivier told the media the Government intended to give the NCC "a clean slate.""Government recognised that the NCC suffered a deficit which needed to be financed," he added.The total budget allocated to the NCC for next year's festival is $289 million.
In addition to clearing a deficit which spans the period 2011 to 2013, $25 million will go towards the commission's operating costs and $60 million will go to special interest groups, namely the National Carnival Bands Association, Pan Trinbago and the Trinbago Unified Calypsonians Organisation.Another $14 million will be spent to support Carnival activities in 53 regions in the country and $75 million will be spent to provide infrastructure during next year's festival.
This mean's the actual budget for the 2014 event amounts to $164 million, which is a $4 million increase from Carnival 2013.Last year the NCC initially had a budget of $129 million but was given a $30 million boost after threats of protest action by stakeholders over low prize money and other issues.Asked what accounted for the need to cover such a large deficit, Metivier said there was a shortfall in funding for the past three Carnival seasons as well as outstanding bills from 2011 and 2012.
Addressing the media, new NCC CEO Michael Guyadeen said the NCC would now have proper financial accountability and would ensure all contracts would be executed to achieve the budget allocation for spending.He said the NCC did not intend to go over this year's budget.He admitted that the commission had issues with procurement policies in the past and stressed that the "general public will have access to all contracts tendered" in the future.
He said the commission would look at ways to generate income by branding and streaming of Carnival to international audiences.The NCC also managed to get two corporate sponsors for next year's event, Blink/b mobile and the National Lotteries Control Board.