2018 VI Emancipation Festival to be 'scaled down'
The announcement was made during an interview on ZBVI 780 AM on Monday, April 23, 2018, amidst some discussions between residents, visitors and leaders about whether or not there should be a festival this year.
Hon Walywn said, “We will indeed have festival this year but there were a few matters that the government needed to address, including the Recovery and Development Agency Act and understanding the financial sessions that precede the budget every year. However, I tasked them [Virgin Islands Festival and Fairs Committee] to providing me with a report on the activities that we will be having this year or what they propose for us to have based on the proposed budget in 2018.”
The cultural minister emphasised that he made it clear to them that he will “not be entertaining any overruns” of festival going forward especially due to the economic challenges the territory is currently facing because of the hurricanes of last year.
“Do what we must to cut our cloth to suit”
Meanwhile, Hon Walwyn indicated that there has to be a serious look into festival and do what is needed to make sure persons enjoy the festival, while noting that he believes the festival was under-budgeted for the Virgin Islands Festival and Fairs Committee (VIF&FC) to pull off in Road Town, East End and Carrot Bay.
“The festival in my opinion, and I have said this before, was under budgeted, for the VIF&FC was expected to pull [it] off in Road Town, East End and Carrot Bay. We now have to take a serious look and do what we must to cut our cloth to suit,” said the minister.
Hon Walywn disclosed that the Miss BVI Pageant and the August Monday Parade will be held, while taking the time to encourage persons who are regular participants in the parade to prepare themselves as well as the young ladies who wish to vie for the Miss BVI title.
“We will certainly be having our Miss BVI competition and our annual Monday August parade as well as other activities and so I want to encourage persons who would normally participate in the parade, and of course the young ladies who we depend on to participate in Miss BVI, preferably to start to get themselves ready because we tend to have a very good celebration,” explained Hon Walywn.
Other activities to be looked at
When asked about other activities and if they will be held for this year’s festival, the cultural minister indicated that there will be a scale down of activities and the VIF&FC is preparing a report which will propose what the scale down of the Emancipation festival will look like.
He said, “As it relates to the other activities we are going to have to take a long at all of them, bearing in mind the proposed figures in the budget. I gave the VIF&FC two weeks to get a report back to me on what festival will look like. I have given them certain indications from what I was able to gather from our standing financial session but there will have to be a scaled down of activities this year. Based on what we are dealing with, we have to take a look at the way forward.”
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21 Responses to “2018 VI Emancipation Festival to be 'scaled down'”
I get your point, but I am sure bank accounts and money transfers will require more information that just "VI". We are the Virgin Islands, we both are the VI, but we started saying BVI because big brother (St. Thomas) wrestled the name away from us. I will continue to say VI where possible..
Every year they say the same $%&#!