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A government minister put up a strong defence in the Senate this morning, justifying the allocation of $35.7 million to host CARIFESTA XV last August.
Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Christopher Sinckler, says if it cost Barbados over $20 million to host CARIFESTA in 1981, he does not understand why people would expect it to cost less to stage the festival in 2025.
He is urging Barbadians not to focus solely on the expenditure, but also on the value of the investment in cultural practitioners and the wider industry.
The Minister adds that when the full value of hosting a major event like CARIFESTA is considered, it cannot be seriously contested.
