Pay mas

In our view the country is too experienced in hosting Carnivals for us to have the annual continuation of this undignified wrangling over monies, between cultural organisations and the Ministries of Culture and Finance.

TT needs a more predictable system to dispense State monies to the umbrella groups representing pan, kaiso, mas, soca and soca chutney and the like, and greater communication from the government on its related intent and capacity to fund should be transmitted very early to avoid any bacchanal wrought by uncertainty.

Equally important, each of these bodies must be held to greater accountability in their handling of State funds and do more to wean themselves off these subsidies. In trimming the fat, one must ask if a million-dollar first prize for Soca and Calypso Monarchs is now too generous? Yes, the injection of Statefunds to different areas of Carnival generates earnings across the economy — to persons working in Carnival activities and spaces.

But Carnival should start to pay its own way and it is only fair to ask the various sectors to start to plough back some of their profits into the festival, and ease the load on the overburdened Treasury.

While some $262 million was initially allocated to the National Carnival Commission (NCC) last year - of which just $230 million was spent - the allocation for fiscal 2017 is some $168 million, according to the National Budget’s Draft Estimates of Recurrent Expenditure.

So, a $100 million drop from last year’s initial allocation to present for the NCC likely signals a significant drop to Carnival’s umbrella bodies.

A document, The Strategic Map of the NCC for 2013 to 2017, has its mission, “To preserve the traditional heritage of TT Carnival whilst ensuring its sustainable development as a viable industry”.

This map employs a lot of business terms in its vision to move Carnival from a festival to an industry, speaking of “Carnival products”, “business development”, “revenue generation” and “value for money”. The map says Carnival is a worthy “investment”, so connoting profit-generation over mere consumption.

The economic lull now gives an apt opportunity for the Government to state its views on the Strategic Map and Strategic Plan, drafted by the former People’s Partnership Administration. A University of the West Indies study, “The Economics of Carnival”, suggested that an extra-large Carnival band comprised of 3,000 revellers each paying $3,000 per costume, can gross some $9 million to $12 million in revenues.

The study claimed that five top extra-large bands earn $45 million to $60 million. Annually.

State subsidy of Carnival can be reduced by ensuring that proper VAT and income tax is paid on all earnings from the festival. We must also mull how can Carnival be massaged for other revenue- earnings, such as “getaway tourism” for citizens seeking serenity in the sister isle of Tobago, or by increasing the “spend” of the 45,000 expats and foreign tourists who attend each year. So, amid the mass hedonism, some clear heads and acknowledgement of today’s reality must plan the sustainability of TT’s signature festival and allow us to play on while paying mas.