Events professionals ask Government to pay what it owes them via purchase of equipment, rather than in cash

The Government has been asked to make good on money owed to a number of promoters and industry professionals through a sort of quid pro quo arrangement.

Several teams who are responsible for the production of events were invited to the Cabinet last Wednesday, June15, and they reportedly requested a significant sum, for previous years’ work, from the Browne Administration.

However, instead of cash, the industry professionals are asking that Government replace their non-working equipment to liquidate its debts.

The absence of social events during the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in their equipment simply not being used during that period; and, as a consequence, they have been rendered unusable now.

Reports say this equipment failure has also been experienced by industry specialists in other Caribbean countries. Sounds systems, generators, electric lights and other sensitive equipment have failed because of non-use during COVID.

New equipment is needed “quickly, before their counterparts in these other Caribbean countries – that are holding Carnival around the same time –purchase the supplies that the Antiguan operators require,” officials claim.

So far, in Antigua and Barbuda, some 102 fetes have been approved and appear to be well supported.