Port-of-Spain City Corporation workers make last-minute
attempts at beautification at Tamarind Square in
Port-of-Spain on Thursday, one day ahead of the Fifth
Summit of the Americas. Photo: Shirley Bahadur

Mere hours before the start of the Fifth Summit of the Americas today, the Government admitted yesterday that the event is already over budget. Chairman of the inter-ministerial committee of the summit Trade Minister Mariano Browne was questioned about the cost of the event yesterday. He said, “It will always cost us a little bit more...” Browne said T&T did not have the required infrastructure support “so for us to put it on (host it) it would require us to do a bit more.”

He added: “The majority of services we have had to acquire—for the accreditation, reservations, media support services, the cruise ships—that’s where a lot of the money has gone.” Browne said the infrastructure work would not have cost much. Asked if the final cost would exceed the budgeted $500 million, he said: “So far, we have been well within our budget. There are areas in which we have been under but there will be variations and we’ll have to treat with those afterwards. “We will give a full accounting of what was spent.”

He said it would be “rough” but all measures for the summit would go into effect. Browne said the arrival of Heads of Government yesterday had gone on “without a hitch.” He said the Prime Ministers of Antigua, Barbados, Belize, the Bahamas and St Kitts-Nevis and the President of Guyana arrived yesterday. He said more Caricom leaders were expected late last night. Browne said “another large number” of heads are expected to arrive today.