CARNIVAL this year is meant to be a scaled-down affair, but it is already apparent one aspect of the festival will not be scaled back: the bacchanal.
Not a single event in the so-called 'A Taste of Carnival' has been staged, but already ruction has begun, with raucous reaction to National Carnival Commission (NCC) chairman Winston 'Gypsy' Peters's disclosure on Monday that the redesigned festival has been budgeted at $25-$30 million.
People on social media and elsewhere reacted angrily to this disclosure, questioning whether such money could not be better spent especially amidst a pandemic.
Mr Peters, however, pointed out that the annual budget for a typical Carnival - which was not staged last year - is well over $100 million.
All of the plans and proposals outlined by the NCC chairman on Monday - such as special 'pods' for groups of patrons - are newfangled measures meant to ease us into a brave new world.
But what remains seemingly unchanged is the long-standing problem of just how accountable the NCC is in terms of its spending practices.
We would be better able to judge the proposed budget for the event - we must treat the figures disclosed by Mr Peters as preliminary - if we had a breakdown of where the money will be spent and a clearer idea of how services were procured.
Otherwise, it's a case of "cat in bag."
The official calendar of events released on Monday also raises questions about whether the NCC is missing opportunities to partner with the private sector to fundamentally redesign the festival itself.
It would also be useful to understand how the $30 million may or may not relate to the State's $48.3 million subvention to the NCC this year, as well as recurrent expenditure on Queen's Hall ($12 million) and Naparima Bowl ($5.5 million).
The calendar speaks to calypso tents, a national pan event, Calypso Fiesta, Senior Kings and Queens prelims, Kaisorama and Dimanche Gras, among others.
Many of these events seem very traditional, as opposed to forward-looking. Some have historically experienced dwindling audience interest. How confident is the NCC that what it has to offer will be enough to drive healthy door receipts?
Organisers may be hoping the desire for some semblance of normalcy will boost attendance. Equally, they might also hope smaller crowds will be easier to manage.
In terms of safety, we have been told several checks and controls will be in place. There will be inspections to catch fraudulent vaccination cards, the layout will be tailored to eliminate crowds, and three compliance officers will be on patrol.
The question is whether these measures will be sufficient and properly implemented.
When things begin later this month, not only will all eyes be on safety, but the NCC's own status as the pre-eminent Carnival agency will also be at stake.
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