Executive

Haiti: How much for the Carnival in Les Cayes?

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (defend.ht) – Less than one month from the completion of Carnival 2012 (February 19 to 21), the amount of the total budget to be used in Les Cayes, where most of the festivities will be held, is still not known.

The budget is still "under discussion", said Minister of Culture and Communication, Pierre Raymond Dumas, interviewed by several reporters after a working meeting, Friday, January 20, 2012, with the Organizing Committee of the festivities planned in Les Cayes.

Being very evasive on the question, Dumas made no reference to the budget of the carnival in the Amending Budget 2011-2012, a total of around 119.3 billion gourdes (USD 1.00 = 41.50 gourdes) to be submitted to the two branches of parliament on January 24.

"It is the wish of the President [Joseph Michel] Martelly to organize activities in this department. Moreover, he will pilot this activity. As honorary chair of this committee, our role is to support the decisions of the President in his quest for another horizon for the country, "said Dumas.

On the recommendation of the central authorities, the city of Les Cayes had hoped funding of 150 million gourds (instead of an initial $ 200 million gourds), reports the newspaper "Le Nouvelliste”.

Of these 150 million, the Treasury could contribute up to 50 or 100 million gourds, while the balance would be sought from the private sector.

Capital of the Southern Department, the city of Les Cayes, chosen by Martelly to become the Mecca of the festivities in 2012, will this year address the challenge of organizing the cultural event that usually attracts several thousand people in Haiti.

For many years, most of the carnival festivities always take place in the capital city, Port-au-Prince, while the city of Jacmel (South East) took advantage of the organizational-specific "national carnival" held with many colors every year, one week before the official date.

Port-au-Prince will also hold its carnival, said the Culture Minister Pierre Raymond Dumas.