Cabinet has approved an allocation of $290,000 to assist 183 steelbands participating in next year’s national Panorama competition. This is according to Communications Minister Maxie Cuffie, during yesterday’s six-minute post-cabinet news conference at the Diplomatic Centre in St Ann’s.
Cuffie said the conventional steelbands would receive $20,000 each while the single pan sides would get $10,000 each. Cuffie also announced that the National Action Cultural Committee would be allocated $1.2 million for its carnival events next year.
In response to a question, Cuffie defended a decision by Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley to visit Barbados last weekend on a personal trip. Rowley went to Barbados to attend a wedding and also played golf with former West Indies Test batsman Sir Garfield Sobers and cricket legend Brian Lara.
Cuffie said the Prime Minister had “down time” and made the trip during that period. Cuffie said one could not expect a prime minister to work 24 hours each day of the week. Cuffie said Rowley used his personal time to visit the Caribbean island and he was entitled to do that.
Cuffie also said the Prime Minister has confirmed next week Tuesday as the day for his address to the nation on the state of the economy and the way forward. He said the specific time was not yet confirmed.