DLP wants govt explain CARIFESTA cost overrun

The Democratic Labour Party (DLP) on Thursday demanded that the Mia Mottley administration come clean regarding the extra $27.7m it is seeking to pay for the regional arts festival, CARIFESTA XV, hosted here last year – a nearly 800 per cent cost overrun.

The DLP said it wanted the government to be accountable and bring clarity on the $31.7m supplementary money bill it asked the House of Assembly to approve. The festival’s original approved budget was $4m.

Through its continued review of the government’s Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure and Budgetary Proposals for 2026–27, party spokesman on the Budget, Corey  Greenidge, pointed to revelations contained in the draft resolution for Supplementary Estimates No. 1 regarding CARIFESTA XV.

He said: “The resolution confirms that government is seeking $31 741 811 in additional funding for CARIFESTA, against the original approved 2025–26 estimate of just $4  000  000. This represents a budgetary overrun of approximately 793.5 per cent, making it the single largest proportional budget overrun at the single programme level, and second only to expenditure increases within the Ministry of Transport and Works, where similar escalations were recorded.

“In other words, the government’s overspend on CARIFESTA was just about equal to the overruns for the entire Ministry of Transport and Works. This is not a minor variance. This is a fundamental breakdown in budgetary planning and fiscal discipline.”

He continued: “The resolution further states that these funds are required to ‘bring to account an advance provided for CARIFESTA payments and for the reimbursement of funds to other accounts that were used to assist with prior payments.’ In simple terms, this confirms that the money has already been spent — financed through advances and internal reallocations from other government departments or ministries — and is now being brought to Parliament after the fact for approval.”

The spokesman suggested that despite the magnitude of this spending and the budget overruns, the public has not yet been provided with any detailed accounting of how these funds were spent, and there was no breakdown of costs.

Greenidge said: “There is no explanation of the drivers of the overrun. There is no clarity as to how an event initially budgeted at $4m ultimately required more than $35m in public funds.” 

When pressed last November, the prime minister had stated publicly that it would be “reckless” to provide a full accounting until all vendors have been paid, a point Greenidge repeated.

He said: “While the Democratic Labour Party acknowledges the importance of settling outstanding obligations, this position cannot be used as a shield against transparency. The Barbadian people cannot be asked to accept an eightfold increase in expenditure without clear and timely disclosure.”

Greenidge argued that at a time when citizens are facing a high cost of living, rising food prices, increasing utility bills and ongoing economic strain, the question of how public funds were being spent was not academic but fundamental.

“The people of Barbados are entitled to know: How was the original $4 million estimate determined? What specific expenditures account for the additional $31.7 million? Which programmes or accounts were utilised to finance this spending in advance? And what safeguards are in place to prevent such a significant overrun from occurring again?”  

He said that these were “reasonable” and “necessary” questions that demanded answers, particularly in the light of the absence of an opposition voice in the lower chamber following the return of all 30 seats to the governing Barbados Labour Party.

“This matter is made even more critical by the current composition of Parliament. Following the general election of February 11, there are no opposition members in the House of Assembly. In such circumstances, the responsibility for accountability, transparency and proper scrutiny rests even more heavily on the government itself.”

Parliament must not become a mere formality for the approval of spending after it has already occurred, Greenidge declared. “The Estimates process must retain its integrity as a tool for planning, oversight and responsible fiscal management.

“The Democratic Labour Party calls on the government to provide, without further delay, a full and detailed accounting of CARIFESTA XV expenditure. This should include a comprehensive breakdown of all costs, the financing arrangements utilised, and a clear explanation of the variance between the approved estimates and the final outturn.”

The Barbadian people deserve no less, he insisted. (EJ)