Days after Opposition Leader Dr. Hubert Minnis called for Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival to be privatized, Minister of Tourism Obie Wilchcombe said the move might not be a bad idea.

"I see Dr. Minnis was saying we should privatize [carnival] and that may not be a bad position to have," said Wilchcombe.

On Tuesday, Minnis told The Nassau Guardian that Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival is nothing more than a "waste of money".

Minnis also claimed a Free National Movement (FNM) government would privatize the event.But he stopped short of definitively stating whether the FNM would cancel carnival, only stating his government would focus more on Bahamian culture and would leave what's "not ours" to the private sector.

While Wilchcombe would not say if the government would consider privatizing the cultural festival, he said a major move like that would take a lot of consideration.

According to Wilchcombe, a key consideration is the fact that it was the government that initiated carnival and had to get the private sector involved. The tourism minister said, so far, the partnership between both sectors has been beneficial. But he added that there is always room for improvement.

"There should be a private public partnership," said Wilchcombe. "They should be working on it all year. I think plans should begin immediately. I think motions should begin immediately. They should be [planning] and collaborating more and more."

The 2016 Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival wrapped up last Saturday evening after three days of events. The government budgeted $7 million for the event this year. The government has been severely criticized for its overspending on the inaugural event last year. Though it budgeted $9 million, the government spent $12.9 million on carnival in 2015.

Wilchcombe has said he is confident the Bahamas National Festival Commission stuck within its budget this year, after officials said they cut down on costs by "streamlining" the festival.

Despite the significant budget cut, several critics have continued to accuse the government of wasting money. The government has also faced criticisms that Junkanoo Carnival only highlights another country's culture. Shortly after its creation, critics suggested carnival would "dilute" Bahamian culture. Many said the government should provide more support to Junkanoo, rather than copy a street festival synonymous with places like Trinidad and Brazil.

Prime Minister Perry Christie has continued to dismiss the criticisms. At the Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival Music Masters event last Friday, Christie said carnival is poised to become a "big event" that will benefit the Bahamian people "mightily". He labeled the event a work in progress and said it's only going to "get better and better each year".

Jasmin Brown, Guardian Staff Reporter

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