The Tobago Festivals Commission owes service providers $3.2 million for events put on in 2023, Secretary of Tourism, Culture, Antiquities and the Arts Tashia Burris revealed during a Plenary Sitting of the Tobago House of Assembly yesterday.
Burris told the assembly that the funds are owed for the Tobago Carnival, Jazz Festival, Blue Food Festival and October Carnival showcase.
She gave the breakdown as follows:
National Carnival 2023 $135,469
Tobago Jazz Festival $503,561.46
Tobago Blue Food Festival $48,202
Tobago October Carnival $2,545,967.43
Asked for an update by THA minority councillor Petal Daniel-Benoit, Burris gave the assurance that all providers will be paid, adding her division is awaiting funding to ensure this happens.
“As the Tobago Festivals Commission Limited receives its releases from the Division of Tourism, they have prioritised the oldest payments to be paid first, so they have recently received releases for the end of first quarter and they cleared up the majority of outstanding payments they had for the older events.
“In this case it would be national carnival and the Jazz Experience. So, those outstanding balances should be the first ones paid when they receive releases for second quarter,” she said.
However, Burris could not give a definitive date.
“Unfortunately, I’m not able to give a timeline, as I don’t have an exact date when releases would become available. We have done all that we can do in the division to submit our request in a timely manner, so we are simply waiting on the releases to come and when they do these service providers would be paid as soon as,” she said.
The division is also working to clear payments for the Tobago Heritage Festival by the end of the month.
Meanwhile, a tit for tat ensued between Secretary of Infrastructure, Quarries and Urban Development Trevor James, Minority Leader Kelvon Morris and Presiding Officer Abby Taylor.
James was asked to indicate the position of the THA officer who accompanied him on a trip to Martinique from October 18-20 for the Connectivity Conference of the Greater Caribbean. The trip became controversial when James chartered a private jet to return to Trinidad, a move that was not sanctioned by the THA executive, which claims they never paid for it.
However, James indicated he did not intend to answer the question on the order paper.
“Madame presiding officer, you know, being new to the house, new to politics and new to the standing orders, I want to seek your interpretation of standing order 26 (5) which reads: not more than three questions requiring an oral answer shall appear on the order paper in the name of the same member for the same day. I want to ask for an interpretation of that standing order,” James said.
The presiding officer agreed. However, another clause in the standing order notes that where any question in excess of the limit appears, the officer has to provide an answer in writing within an hour of it being asked.
As Taylor double checked the standing orders, the Minority Leader could be heard saying, “You running from questions? I never see this. I know you like to talk. Allyuh fraid to account to the people of Tobago? This is where the work is yuh know.”
When Taylor gave James a time of 3.22 pm to present the answer in written form, he refused.
“Madame presiding officer, I can tell you now that is impossible and cannot be done,” he said.
Taylor urged James to act in accordance with the rules.
“I would remind members of this House that we are guided by the standing orders. I am sure all assemblymen are provided with competent staff to fulfil this request. One hour’s time. Standing order 26 (7),” she said.
It was not clear if the information was ever provided.
The session continued, and eventually moved to the debate of the motion to rescind the decision taken by the board of the Tobago Agribusiness Development Company (TADCO) to not renew the contracts of more than 60 workers who lost their jobs last year.
The motion was denied.