NCC relaxes ruling on all-inclusive carts
Posted: Saturday, February 7, 2004
By Terry Joseph
THE National Carnival Commission (NCC) has withdrawn a proposal to prohibit all-inclusive food and beverage carts accompanying bands from crossing the Queen's Park Savannah on Carnival Monday and Tuesday.
Several of Carnival's most colourful bands threatened to boycott the Queen's Park Savannah, the main competition venue, if NCC proceeded with the ban but yesterday the National Carnival Development Foundation (NCDF), which represents a significant number of the largest bands, reported that the prohibition had been relaxed.
The NCC concern was said to have come from vendors who rent booths along the parade strip in the savannah then find masqueraders wanting nothing, as carts traveling with the band supplied them with food and beverages by dint of arrangements made at the time of registration.
NCDF spokesman David McKell countered saying the masqueraders signed up for all-inclusive sections as part of their contract with the band and could argue fraud or larceny by a trick if that suddenly changes.
Yesterday McKell said concerned members were happy that the NCC agreed to drop the proposal, although there was no guarantee it would not resurface in the future.
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