A BUDGET of $17.5 million has been approved for this month's carnival in Tobago, but that does not mean officials on the island are not looking to cut corners.

'We're actually hoping to spend less,' said THA Secretary of Tourism Tashia Burris on Monday.

But THA officials seem intent on doing more than just cutting corners on expenditure. Necessary statutory approvals, including those overseen by environmental regulators, seem in the line of fire too.

'What we are trying to do is host a carnival in a few weeks,' said THA Secretary of Infrastructure Trevor James, questioned this week about approvals for a stage being built in the sea.

'We at the assembly are trying to execute these works in short order, and sometimes as a state agency, we believe it might be challenging to go through every single step that is required. If that has to be done, then we won't be able to accomplish all that we set out to do.'

Mr James's position, which is effectively that one rule applies to the State and another to ordinary citizens, is shocking but not surprising.

Too often, public officials in this country pay lip service to rules, procedures, policies and laws, while dispensing with them the moment it becomes inconvenient for them as they pursue their agendas and objectives.

Still, few would dare to be as open about rule-breaking as Mr James has been.

The secretary of infrastructure on Tuesday tried to backtrack somewhat and said he had not been aware that a stage being built in the sea at Rockly Bay might require approval from the Environmental Management Authority (EMA). But the cat was already out of the bag.

We have learned little, it seems, from the controversy which unfolded two years ago in relation to a fete promoter's move to build a stage in the water at Maracas Bay.

That outcry was a reminder of the range of different agencies which must, for good reason, approve projects that pose potential hazards, not only for the environment but for safety and urban development.

Not only should THA officials be assuring us they have complied with the EMA's process of granting a certificate of environmental clearance, but we should also be hearing about approvals from entities such as the police, fire services and the Commissioner of State Lands.

That the carnival is due to take place at the end of this month and time is of the essence is no excuse. Tobago's carnival was announced in April and its calendar of events was released nearly two months ago.

If approvals were not possible to obtain within that time frame, authorities should have veered on the side of caution and adjusted the list of carnival events accordingly.

Ole mas, it seems, is not unique to Trinidad.