The amount of money that the government allocates to the Anguilla Summer Festival each year needs to increase, according to the social development minister.
Dee-Ann Kentish-Rogers said this year the budget for the 50th anniversary event was EC$1.9 million – but needs to be at least $4 million in the future to cover all related costs.
Speaking on Radio Anguilla on Wednesday, 14 August, she told listeners that “significant resources” are needed to run the month-long event.
“Even though we were able to successfully argue for over a $1.1 million uplift in our summer festival budget, that’s still not enough money for carnival,” she said.
She said if the allocation was $4 million, it would mean organisers would not need to rely on sponsorships.
The money would go towards things like security for schools, education, healthcare, marketing as well as all of the logistical costs, the minister explained.
She added that improvements could be made in the production quality of the festival events if money was available to pay a production team.
Sponsorships
Kentish-Rogers said that while sponsorship this year, from the likes of Flow, ANGLEC, KFC and others, was significant, it covered just some of the expenses.
“One of the other things to bear in mind is that we don’t just take the money that sponsors give us and use it however we please,” she said.
“The sponsors make specific arrangements as to how they want their money spent.”
She also reminded that all of the events held during the festival are heavily subsidised, adding: “We spend eons more per night than what we bring in.”
The minister said a review of the festival is ongoing, but payments are still being finalised, so “it’ll take a little bit of time”.
She thanked the Anguilla Summer Festival Committee who, she said, worked long hours for on a voluntary basis.
If all festival volunteers were to get paid, the budget for the festival would need to rise again to about $6 million, Kentish-Rogers said.
