Tourism chief asks for more money for carnival jinks

Panama’s tourism chief has gone cap in hand to the ruling cabinet to ask for more money for the pre Lenten carnival only days after he has said that $1.5 million was enough.

A year ago President Ricardo Martinelli had said there would be no more government funding of the city event, as carnivals elsewhere in the country were self supporting. He relented and the carnival received $200,000 in 2010. This year it was upped to $1.5 million.

Rogelio Justiniani, vice president of the orgnazing group of a private carnival in held in Juan Diaz, is not amused.

"$ 1.5 million is enough, do not ask for more money," he said on RPC radio and repeated the fact that the boards and organizers of carnivals elsewhere in the country do not receive government assistance for the annual festival.

None of these meetings “ give funds generated from Panamanian taxpayersto the carnivals” he said, and added that the authority should ot be asking for more money. Shamahasked for more on Friday,February 18 as there was a shortfall in the $1.5 million budget that has been handing our direct no bid contracts to suppliers.
Shamah said the travel authority responsible for organizing the Carnaval de Panama needs to cover the payment of the groups and some artists who are paid"very little".
"If last year it was said that state money would never be used for carnivals, how this year has the government been contradicted through the management of the ATP," said Justinianini.