Free National Movement Chairman Michael Pintard said that the results of the Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival report were what he expected but he was "quite disappointed" by the explanation given by the Bahamas National Festival Commission (BNFC) for the more than $6 million loss the event suffered. According to the report released by BNFC, the government spent $12.9 million on the inaugural Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival and made $6.68 million in taxes and direct revenue. The price tag went nearly $4 million over the $9 million originally budgeted, according to the commission.

"At a very philosophical level it is never about how much the government makes off a carnival," said BNFC Chairman Paul Major, during a presentation to the media at the Office of the Prime Minister this week.

"By comparison, in Trinidad the government spends somewhere around US$30 million a year. "...Talk to Toronto, talk to Notting Hill Carnival and ask them how much the government invests in carnival, and how much do they get? What is the profit and loss?

"I challenge you. Call them and [ask], 'How much did you make off carnival? You have been doing it for 50 years. How much did you make this year?' "And they will all tell you, 'Nothing.'" Pintard said that he believes the explanation given by Major does not pay respect to the many intelligent Bahamians out there.

"Firstly, the event did not put heads in bed," Pintard said.

"By their own admission a very small number of tourists attended the events and they could not provide us with how many of those tourists, less than 1,000, would have travelled specifically for that. We believe it's probably less that 100." Of the estimated 115,000 people who attended the carnival events, Major estimated that 900 of them were visitors. "Their stated objectives were not met," Pintard said.

"So they are now mentioning other goal posts, other markers by which we should measure the success of carnival." At the presentation, Major declared carnival "undoubtedly a success", saying criticisms of the event are misplaced. He insisted that carnival should not be analyzed as a "profit and loss" exercise, but as an economic stimulus with enormous potential for the future.

Pintard challenged "strong advocates" who wish for more money to be allocated to carnival to demonstrate their confidence in the event by investing their own funds.

"I am very doubtful that government ministers and those persons who administrated this event would ask the government merely for a subvention and that they would make up the shortfall by raising funds through sponsorship and secondly investing their personal funds. I'm very doubtful that they will go that way," Pintard said.

The FNM chairman further claimed that it is his belief that the government never intended for carnival to be a profitable venture or a stimulus package for the cultural sector.

"In my estimation it was a means of spreading a tremendous amount of resources throughout the community to appease those that have been suffering because of failed PLP policies," Pintard said. "And that is why they were very strategic in the ways in which they sought to set up or encourage the setting up of companies.

"The many persons who were employed doing non-essential jobs during this period, and I'm happy that those families were able to eat, but I never bought, and today do not buy, that the government was single-mindedly focused on stimulating the cultural sector."

Pintard recommended that if the government is confident that carnival has been a resounding success and can bring in money in the future, then allow the corporate community an opportunity to invest and use the additional millions that would have been invested on carnival in an endowment for the arts. He said that there are numerous ways that the government can build the infrastructure for cultural development that will not seek to use someone else's culture and rebrand it as the country's own.

"Strengthen the writers of The Bahamas by creating an infrastructure for them to succeed, link the musicians of The Bahamas with record labels and create a showpiece where persons from around the world can observe and listen to Bahamian music," Pintard said.

When asked whether the FNM is willing to support Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival in the future, Pintard said that if the government is prepared to brand any mega event as a Bahamian event and not appropriate another culture and superimpose it on Bahamian culture, then it will be something the party is willing to support.

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