CDC pays out over $380,000 in prize monies, looks to depend less on Gov’t   

By Admin. Updated 5:55 a.m., Monday, January 9, 2023, Atlantic Standard Time (GMT-4).

The Carnival Development Corporation – CDC says it has paid out over three-hundred-and-eighty-thousand dollars to winners of various categories of Vincy Mas 2022.

This was revealed by Chairman of the CDC – Mr. Ricardo Adams at the CDC’s prize giving ceremony on Saturday, January 7, 2023.

Mr. Adams said the prize money payout is usually higher, but the mas component of Vincy Mas had already received a substantive portion (80 percent) of their appearance fees which was done before Vincy Mas.

Winners of various competitive components of Vincy Mas 2022 received their payments at the ceremony.

The payout of the prize monies was delayed causing some artistes to turn to social media to complain about the non-payment of the prize monies.

But the CDC said factors such as the scaled down version of Vincy Mas last year and the reduction in sponsorship led to the delayed payouts.

Mr. Adams, the CDC Chairman said people sometimes think mas and Vincy Mas is an inexpensive exercise.

But he said, Vincy Mas, while it is managed to the tune of three to four million dollars every year, Vincy Mas is way more an expensive exercise than that.

He said a study is being commissioned this year on the economic impact of Vincy Mas in relation to its costs and benefits to the nation.

Meanwhile, Mr. Adams said the CDC looks to be less dependent on the Government. He said one of the innovations towards this was the establishment of the Entice Lounge and Store which sells supplies for mas.

The lounge and store business was funded by the National Lotteries Authority – NLA. Mr. Adams said it helped the CDC to offset some of its expenses for Vincy Mas 2022.

Apart from prize monies, the CDC said its expenses for Vincy Mas 2022 included paying over two-hundred thousand dollars to provide music on the road for last year’s carnival activities.

The CDC says it received less funding from sponsors last year.

Mr. Adams said that Vincy Mas 2023 will be held from June 30 to July 11, 2023.