WHERE $87M?

While Pan Trinbago has received $87 million in Government subventions over the past three years, she said from now, payment to pannists will be made directly from the National Carnival Commission (NCC), bypassing Pan Trinbago, and will be subject to a verification exercise.

Gate receipts from Panorama 2016 - which PanTrinbago indicated to be $8.5 million - will be collected by the NCC and not PanTrinbago, as was the case in the past.

While she could not say exactly how many pannists were paid for performing at Panorama last year, she was confident the issue would not derail Carnival 2017. “The Cabinet has been noting with growing concern, allegations of financial mismanagement by Pan Trinbago,” said Gadsby-Dolly. “These concerns began when there was a public furore regarding non-payment of player remittances for 2016, and it has been steadily growing with allegations becoming more and more damning as time goes by,” she added.

“This is a valid concern to Cabinet, because PanTrinbago receives large amounts of public money,” the Minister said adding that Pan Trinbago’s allocations for hosting Panorama were $34 million, $30 million and $23 million for 2014, 2015 and 2016 respectively.

“So in order to reassure the public that the monies given towards the organisation are used to ensure the Panorama competition comes off and for the purposes for which it was allocated, Cabinet has directed that immediately following Carnival 2017, there is going to be a forensic audit into Pan Trinbago.” Gadsby- Dolly added that she expects Pan Trinbago’s full cooperation.

She said the NCC has been directed to collect gate receipts for Carnival 2017, to allow government a clearer understanding of exactly what revenues Panorama earns. She said some pannists were already paid for 2016, but could not say how many. She confirmed that her Ministry had sent 2016 monies to Pan Trinbago to pay players.

Efforts to reach Pan Trinbago’s acting president Richard Forteau proved futile as all calls to his cellular phone went straight to voicemail. However, substantive president Keith Diaz - who is on extended sick leave after suffering a heart attack recently - yesterday told Newsday he is keeping abreast of the goings on at the organisation. Told about the forensic audit, Diaz said, “I went to see two lawyers this morning and I will have my day in court.

That is all I am prepared to say for the time.” NCC chairman Kenny de Silva said the commission is ready and able to manage financial affairs of the Panorama competition this year. “That is something I have been committed to for a very long time. All Special Interest Groups must submit its audited accounts.

But now that it has come to a crisis situation and with more challenging times ahead, it just can’t be business as usual,” De Silva said.

(Additional reporting by JOAN RAMPERSAD)