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Following Carnival 2026, there have been the usual self-congratulatory comments from officialdom about its success and economic benefits. See for example the declaration of the Minister of Culture in the Trinidad Guardian of 22 February 2026 that the $137 million that the Ministry spent on the season was “well spent”.
I refer also to the toasts to the purported economic benefits of the Epic Carnival Cruise reported on 14 February 2026, also in the Trinidad Guardian.
The extent of Government support and funding, if any, of this venture—introduced during the term of the previous Government—remains unknown.
Photo: NCC.
One wonders whether US$5million is the accurate figure representing this venture’s injection into our economy if the passengers made payment to providers located in the US for the cruise and participation in Carnival in Trinidad.
These columns have challenged the continuing cliché of “the greatest show on earth” and made some suggestions for change. It is not necessary to re-examine the issues that have already undermined that boast, except to mention again the decline of the J’Ouvert morning Bomb competition.
The Bomb competition at Victoria Square this year was marked by a lack of preparedness of some of the bands. Perhaps they are understandably worn out by Panorama. Moreover, crowd attendance at the Bomb was pathetic.
Happily, Trinidad All Stars, in which I have frequently been a sailor, keeps the national instrument on the road on the two Carnival Days where it belongs, with its annual huge Sailor mas’.
On this occasion, I raise concerns about the lack of transparency in Government’s dealings with Carnival event and project promoters and the failure to meet the considerable challenges of the mega growth of the pre-Carnival party industry.
I accept that the Ministry of Culture is justified in supporting new concepts within a major national festival, such as the Flava Village, which turned out to be very successful, especially for the vendors there.
However, I question, as Minister Michelle Benjamin did, whether most of the Ministry of Culture’s funding should go to “infrastructure”.
Photo: NCC.
Minister Benjamin reportedly promised a detailed breakdown of that expenditure of $137 million in about a month. When the details are revealed and we compare them year over year, we may be in for a shock at what was permitted for those “infrastructure” costs, as well as at the cost of continuing support to certain cultural events that cannot advance into viability.
Citizens are entitled to ask what if anything is the return on those investments.
In addition to the unverified claim about the Epic cruise, it is necessary to examine the statements reported in the Trinidad Express newspaper on 14 February 2026 about the use of the Chaguaramas Heliport for the Stink and Dutty fete. This is another serious evasion of accountability.
(via Kibwe McGann.)
The massive Stink and Dutty fete was relocated to the Heliport at Chaguaramas after the Brian Lara Stadium was, with some justification, rendered unavailable. The outcome of the relocation was complete chaos.
At a news conference, Minister of Defence, Wayne Sturge, dealt with the arrangement for the promoters of the fete to use the heliport.
In attempting to describe the arrangement, while informing us that the promoters “paid a hefty sum for the use of the heliport”, Minister Sturge used the eyebrow-raising phrase “a private contractual thing between an entity under a different ministry and the promoters”.
Photo: Office of the Prime Minister.
Which Ministry and what entity? That sounds like a threesome and into this mysterious threesome of “a contractual thing”, Minister Sturge threw a fourth person, the Chief of Defence Staff, who he was quoted as saying “took part in the planning and logistics”.
That whole sorry evasion of accountability raises more grave questions. The heliport is a national security asset located in a peninsula and in close proximity to other buildings and venues loaded with national security operations and implications.
Why was permission to use it delegated to “an entity under a different ministry”? Did “planning and logistics” include a contingency plan in the event of an incident requiring either first responders or law enforcement to have emergency entry into and out of the peninsula or evacuation of the patrons?
Will we be left with the usual lingering lack of accountability, even where there are security implications?
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Martin G Daly SC is a prominent attorney-at-law. He is a former Independent Senator and past president of the Law Association of Trinidad and Tobago.
He is chairman of the Pat Bishop Foundation and a steelpan music enthusiast.
