Kei­th An­der­son

Pan­men are un­hap­py with the non-pay­ment of stipends for Panora­ma 2011.The $1,000 stipend was the cen­tre of con­tro­ver­sy be­tween Pan Trin­ba­go and the Min­is­ter of Arts and Mul­ti­cul­tur­al­ism Win­ston Pe­ters dur­ing the lead up to the fes­ti­val.Pan­men had threat­ened to boy­cott Panora­ma fol­low­ing a de­ci­sion by Pe­ters to re­duce the stipend to $800.The in­ter­ven­tion of Prime Min­is­ter Kam­la Per­sad-Bisses­sar saw the mat­ter be­ing re­solved and Pan Trin­ba­go opt­ing to com­pen­sate the pan­men for the short­fall.How­ev­er, it is still un­clear how the pay­ments would be made as an­swers have not been forth­com­ing.

Sun­day Guardian learnt that pan­men are up in arms over the de­lay in pay­ments as two bands are said to be re­spon­si­ble for the set back.An up­set pan­man said: "This is caus­ing dis­tur­bance in the pan world. We want our mon­ey; Panora­ma 2011 has come and gone and we are get­ting ready for 2012 now."At­tempts to con­tact Pe­ters and Pan Trin­ba­go's pres­i­dent Kei­th Di­az for a com­ment on this is­sue proved fu­tile.