Allow me if you may to begin my commentary for the day with the opening lyrics to Drakes song “Back to Back”;

“Oh man

Oh man, oh man

Not again…”

“Carnival ‘was never meant to be profitable.” – The Tribune

Excerpt from this article; “Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival was never designed to work as a ‘profit exercise’; according to Bahamas Festival Commission Chairman Paul Major.

Responding to questions yesterday at a press conference in which the BNFC  revealed its economic impact assessment of the event’s second year,  Mr. Major condemned opponents of the festival who continue to look at the country’s annual investment, instead of the carnival’s’ economic impact’.

He said the festival has never been and will never be about turning a profit on investment, contending that no variation of the event around the world was generated a profit for the host nation.”

I must admit that I am confused because there seem to be some disappointment over the results of the first Junkanoo-Carnival and if the festival is not meant to turn a profit, then what is the purpose?

“Carnival reveals ‘significant revenue shortfall’   – The Tribune, July, 29 015

Excerpt from this article; “The Christie Administration failed to secure to return on its $11m investment in May’s highly touted Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival, according to the official statistics of the event released by the Bahamas National Festival Commission yesterday.

For its over-budgeted investment in the festivities, the government reaped $8.3m in combined direct and tax revenue, with the latter providing $6.7m of that sum.

The direct revenue, which totaled $1.6m, largely came from ticket sales and cash sponsorships. According to BFNC chairman Paul Major.

Mr. Major confirmed that efforts were still being made to secure payments from some vendors who reportedly lost money during the event – a sum estimated to cost the government about $40,000.

Nevertheless, the commission concluded that the total direct economic activity of the events was about $19m, including in Grand Bahama.

The total included the government’s local expenditure for the event.

The commission said that tourist-related activity, including hotels sales, stopover tourist expenditure and cruise ship expenditure, generated about $4.6, $2.8m of that generated in Grand Bahama – more than the $1.7 made was in New Providence.

The festival attracted about 115,000 spectators or participants, employed 7,208 people and benefitted 880 small and medium enterprises, the long-awaited report concludes.

Some 30,000 spectators attended Grand Bahama’s event, and 85,000 spectators and participants attended the New Providence events.  It was estimated that about 900 tourist attended he events.

The total expenditure for the event was $12,947.650, more than the governments budgeted $9m.  Of this total, the government spent about $11.3m, with the rest covered by sponsorships.”

It would appear that Junkanoo-Carnival was originally intended to boost the tourism product ; revitalize it and also turn a profit for not only the average citizen but also for the government, there is no other reason for this type of expenditure in time such as these, it is illogical.

It now seems that it is intended to be an economic stimulus, aided HEAVILY by the government i.e. taxpayers to provide the opportunity for the average citizen to make a profit, and it seems to even have failed at its new objective.

The Progressive Liberal Party fails for one reason, it is within their nature.

END