Letter to the Editor - Response to article in the Trinidad Guardian

In response to the article run on Sunday April 5, 2015, entitled “NCBA Woes Continue,” the National Carnival Commission of Trinidad and Tobago (NCC) would like to take this opportunity to address and shed light on some of the issues as reported in the newspaper.

Contrary to what has been reported, the funds being sought by the Minister of the Arts and Multiculturalism are directly related to covering the NCC’s operational costs for the period 2015, and are not related to the National Carnival Bands Association and the payment of prize monies to Carnival Bands.

Last year, the NCC requested $150M to cover an accrued debt from 2014, and this figure was included in our budgetary request for TT $588M. However, we received only about 53 per cent of this figure, or TT $314M. The accrued debt was paid out of the budgeted allocation, leaving just over $160 million for this year’s Carnival and for operational expenses.

While the NCC has no major outstanding debts, an additional sum was requested to cover the budgetary shortfall. The request for funding will ensure that the NCC can continue to operate for the remainder of the financial year.

In this regard, the NCC continues to work within the $314 Million allocation as we pursue our mandate to manage, coordinate, and regulate Carnival activities. We would like to emphasise that the shortfall does not directly affect any of our special interest groups.

Central to achieving our mandate is the development of a robust and financially efficient organisation, with the capacity to increase revenue generation both privately and publicly, generate more value for money through greater expenditure control, best in class purchasing and procurement policies and practices, and improve debt management and viability.

Carnival is a national community event, and while we at the NCC are responsible for its governance and oversight, we intend to do so in the most equitable and financially responsible manner.

 

Lorraine Pouchet
Chairman