Wilchcombe says 2016 carnival will cost less than last year's

Thu, Feb 18th 2016, 12:13 AM

Minister of Tourism Obie Wilchcombe yesterday admitted that the $12.9 million spent on the inaugural Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival was too high and the government is working to shave that figure down for this year's festival. The $12.9 million price tag is nearly $4 million over the $9 million originally budgeted.

"That was really high," Wilchcombe said outside Parliament. "We are trying to get that budget down. We want to shave it down to make sure that what money is spent is spent purposefully. We want to make sure that we are cutting some of the cost. We want to make sure that we have a budget that is workable and acceptable to the Bahamian people.

"But we want to make sure that more Bahamians are involved as well. You have to think about the Bahamian musicians, artists, producers and the vendors. We are working to ensure that we don't overspend; that there is a better budget, a budget that will seek to realize a successful event on the one hand but at the same time to ensure that we are giving opportunities for Bahamians."

The government made $6.68 million in taxes and direct revenue from carnival, which represented a 51.6 percent return.

The Bahamas National Festival Commission reported that the event generated $19.01 million in economic activity. It was held from May 7-9 and was marketed as a celebration of Bahamian culture. However, in some circles the event was criticized as a waste of money.

Wilchcombe said yesterday that his ministry and the commission are working hard to put on a successful event.

"We want to make sure that our marketing is in place and that we have all the marketing tools," he said. "All the programs have already been developed and we are working with the various groups to ensure their participation.

"The meetings I have had so far tell me that there are those who wish to move more faster, but sometimes it is best to move methodically to ensure that we get all our things done more properly. But I expect things to really get heated up over the next couple of weeks. We are going to get the message out and make sure that it's even greater than last year."

The lead up to the 2015 carnival was mired in controversy over which musician would headline the festival and after two commission members resigned over "bureaucratic interference by political operatives and certain ministers of the government".

Baha Men founder Isaiah Taylor criticized the commission for not having a headliner months before the festival. During a press conference to promote the festival, Taylor demanded they reveal to him the name of the headliner. Trinidadian music sensation Machel Montano was later revealed as the headliner.

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