by Linda Straker
- Grenada last held carnival celebrations in 2019
- NLA only diamond sponsor of annual carnival celebrations
- Money from NLA given as subvention from one statutory body to another
The National Lotteries Authority (NLA) will be giving Spicemas Corporation (SMC) EC$1 million to assist with its expenditure relating to the organising of the 2022 carnival activities. That amount has made NLA become the only diamond sponsor of the annual carnival celebrations.
“Government has agreed to provide the much needed injection into the Spicemas Corporation to host a successful Spicemas 2022. The injection is to the tune of EC$1 million and we believe that this injection will be vital to ensure that, in fact, Spicemas is successful this year,” Hon. Ron Redhead; Minister of State with responsibility for Youth and Sports in the Ministry of Education, Youth, Sports and Culture announced during the post-cabinet briefing on Tuesday, 19 July 2022.
He explained that the money will be used to offset the costs of the carnival budget as prepared by SMC and submitted to the Cabinet. “In relation to the million dollars, Spicemas did prepare a budget that government has look at and made the disbursement from the level of the National Lottery Authority… so as it relates to what specifically it will be spent on it was outlined in the budget,” he said without disclosing any of the expenditures mentioned in the budget.
Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell further explained that the money from the NLA is given in the form of a subvention from one statutory body to another. “Perhaps for clarification, I should point out that NLA is the National Lotteries Authority. Just to be clear, what the cabinet has agreed to do is to authorise that National Lotteries Authority to give a subvention of EC$1 million to the Spicemas Corporation,” he said.
Attorney Arley Gill who is the current chairman of SMC said that the budget for the 2022 carnival celebrations is EC$2.6 million. Besides the subvention from the NLA, funding will also be obtained through sponsorship from corporate bodies that will choose the platinum, gold, silver, and bronze categories, gate receipts, and fees. The government provides an annual subvention of EC$800,000 to SMC.
Grenada last held carnival celebrations in 2019. It was not held in 2020 and 2021 because of the restriction associated Covid-19 pandemic. The 2022 carnival celebrations were launched in May and will conclude on 10 August 2022.
It’s long overdue…if we want the artists and the world to take us seriously we must invest in the artform and culture.
Price money should be increased and paid on time.
Why do they always build small stages? Some of the stages are so small, artists can hardly move about.
Give the gals and guys room to showcase their art.
There should be workshops of the artform in schools. Pan/wire bending/design/music vocal training.
Too often the artform is perceived as an after thought.
There is Kiddy Carnival but no Kiddy Carnival in schools.