Treat culture with respect

Much to my surprise the event was well catered for in all areas, quite lavishly, really.

My concern as a member of one of the major Carnival organisations was where was all this funding coming from, especially as the interest groups — pan, mas and calypso — had veered away from this type of lavish form of prize-giving function, opting instead to practise frugality in their cost-cutting expenditures for the last few years. Seeing that the gate receipts from the Calypso Fiesta have not been turned over to the governing body, TUCO, nor the Panorama gate receipts to Pan Trinbago, will this lavish spending be a part of the interest groups’ funds and be accounted for by the NCC? Can the chairman respond? I am concerned that the minister and her Government’s latest strategy of building the interest groups will only serve to put a wedge/spanner in the relationship between the groups and the minister and by extension the people of TT .

At a time when the oil and gas economy can no longer be considered king, especially with the heavy debt by Petrotrin, if we are to diversify our rapidly declining economy, we should treat culture and its practitioners with the respect they deserve.

The Prime Minister has made it quite clear that all decisions are made by the Cabinet and as the leader of the Cabinet he takes full responsibility for all decisions made.

I therefore respectfully ask the Prime Minister and his Government: do you believe the politicians can attract the thousands of visitors to our shores without the input of the special interest groups and is he willing to accept the destruction of our Carnival come 2018 and beyond?

MICHAEL HONEST JR Port-of-Spain