Tents want an ease

BARBADOS TODAY IS reporting that tent managers are at the end of their rope.

And if government is not willing to work with them to ease their financial burden for Crop-Over, tents may remain unpitched when the season rolls around next year, asserted directors of Bacchanal Time calypso tent.

"There will come a time, and the time is here, that tent managers will no longer be pulling their pockets to support tents and people will not be making sacrifices and get nothing," said Eric Lewis at the launch of the 16-year-old tent last night at The Lucky Horseshoe, Hastings, Christ Church.

"At the end of the day, as thister of finance declared, Crop-Over brings in about 18 million in the space of eight weeks."

Lewis charged that the Government seemed to be willing to gamble the $18 million because they were unwilling to write off $60,000 in VAT ease for the tents.

At a meeting with the Minister of Finance, Christopher Sinckler last Monday, he said there would be no ease in VAT this year, explaining that it would have to be an amendment that would have to go through Parliament.

"So let's say next year, all the masqueraders and the tent managers say, 'see this stupidness year in and year out, let us take a break'. You would be surprised to see how fast phones in Barbados would start ringing.

"We don't want to come to a situation where we seem to be holding people's hands over the fire. The public perception is that the calypsonians always begging ... but you have to understand what we are up against.

"We are at the end of the rope. We need as much help as possible. Sponsors can only do so much and we have to understand it is a national festival ... and all we are asking is for government to come on board with us, understand what we are trying to do and assist us. Simple as that."

Lewis was of the opinion that the Government was unwilling to help because its members were aware of tent managers' love for the festival.

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