115 Unsponsored Steel Bands Receive funding for Carnival 2018
115 Unsponsored bands will receive cheques to assist them in their operations from today. Dr. the Honourable Nyan Gadsby-Dolly, Minister of Community Development Culture and the Arts presented Tobago’s cheques to Mr. Carlan Harewood Pan Trinbago representative from the Eastern Region due to the unavailability of the representative from Tobago. Mr. Gerard Mendez of the Northern Region, Mr. David Balbosa from the South/Central Region and Mr. Keith Diaz, Pan Trinbago President were present for the short media conference held today at the Ministry’s head office at Nicholas Tower, Port of Spain.
The total amount received is $1 342 500.00 and it is broken down as follows:
| Region | Type of Band | Number of Bands | Amount |
| Tobago | Single and Conventional | 10 | $127, 500.00 |
| South/ Central | Conventional Bands | 17 | $255, 000.00 |
| Single Pan | 9 | $67, 500.00 | |
| North | Conventional | 17 | $255, 000.00 |
| Single | 21 | $157, 500.00 | |
| East | Conventional | 23 | $345, 000.00 |
| Single Pan | 18 | $135, 000.00 | |
| TOTAL | 115 | $1,342, 500.00 |
All unsponsored bands can collect their cheques today between 11am-3pm at the Ministry’s Adult Education Centre, #1 La Fantaisie Road, St. Ann’s. Cheques that are not collected today can be collected at the Ministry’s Accounting Unit, JOBCO Building, 51-55 Frederick Street, Port-of-Spain.