Pan Trinbago to get full $7.6m

Posted By: News
Date: Friday, 29 March 2002, at 3:44 a.m.

By Richard Lord
Trinidad Express

IN an about-face, Prime Minister Patrick Manning agreed yesterday to pay the full $7.6 million to Pan Trinbago instead of the $4 million he had announced on Wednesday. This after being taken to task by the president of the steelband organisation Patrick Arnold for not keeping an election promise to pay the full sum.

Manning had told reporters at a post-Cabinet news briefing at Whitehall on Wednesday that there was a $4 million balance owing to Pan Trinbago from an original $7.5 million pledged by the NAR government in 1990.

He had noted that a previous PNM Government had paid out $3.5 million to Pan Trinbago in 1994 and that the remaining $4 million had remained in an account and accrued interest at a rate of 4.71 per cent per annum, bringing the total sum now to just over $7 million.

On Wednesday, Manning told the post-Cabinet news conference: “This morning, Cabinet agreed to make approximately $4 million of that available to Pan Trinbago.”

But this sparked immediate criticism from Arnold, who told the Express that he was “disturbed” and that Manning had failed to keep an election promise to pay all the money.

Arnold spoke with Culture Minister Eudine Job-Davis later on Wednesday and said the minister told him that Manning had made a mistake and that the full $7.6 million would be made available to Pan Trinbago.

When contacted by the Express, Job-Davis was not prepared to comment on Manning’s announcement but confirmed that Pan Trinbago would receive the $7.6 million.

“To err is human,” she remarked.

A Government spokesman said the prime minister changed his mind after learning of Arnold’s criticism, and instructed the Government Information Service (GIS) to issue a revised statement yesterday confirming that $7.6 million would be awarded to Pan Trinbago.

The GIS statement said the $7.6 million would be placed in a special account for Pan Trinbago.

In order to access the money, the GIS added, Pan Trinbago must submit to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism a detailed breakdown of its project proposals.

Arnold said last night he was happy to hear that the full sum was being paid, since Pan Trinbago had several important projects to implement, including starting a pan factory.

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Pan Trinbago to get full $7.6m
News -- Friday, 29 March 2002, at 3:44 a.m.