Skip to playerSkip to main content
CCNTV6
  • 38 minutes ago
The government has extended the timeline for the full transition to Trinidad and Tobago's new Coat of Arms, a move that has sparked criticism from former prime minister Stuart Young, who is questioning the government's handling of the process and its wider cultural policy.
Transcript
00:00The Ministry of Homeland Security has extended the deadline for discontinuing Trinidad and Tobago's former Court of Arms.
00:08Legal Notice No. 468 published on December 22, 2025 grants an additional five years for the transition.
00:18The original deadline of January 1, 2026 has now been moved to January 2, 2031,
00:25following approval by Minister of Homeland Security Roger Alexander.
00:30The extension allows government agencies more time to update official documents, signage and stationery
00:36to reflect the new national emblem, which features the seal pan in place of the three ships.
00:42However, former Prime Minister Stuart Young has criticized the decision accusing the UNC government
00:47of undermining Trinidad and Tobago's cultural identity.
00:51In a statement, Young said the extension was issued without sufficient transparency
00:56and forms part of what he described as a broader pattern of decisions affecting the steel pan at Carnival culture.
01:04He claimed that since May of this year, the government's sponsorship of several steel pan bans
01:10have been cancelled, which he described as a deliberate policy against the national instrument.
01:16Young also pointed to recent government actions impacting Carnival,
01:20including what he called abrupt policy changes, venue cancellations without consultation,
01:27reduced sponsorship and increased alcohol prices.
01:31Despite his criticism, Young said Trinidad and Tobago's steel pan and Carnival traditions will survive,
01:37describing them as a movement of the people for the people.
01:40Back in June, Finance Minister Davindranoth Tanku instructed the Central Bank of Trinidad and Tobago
01:46to suspend the printing of the new TT$100 polymer note, which features the redesigned coat of arms.
01:55No reason was given at the time for the decision.
01:58When quizzed by Media Today, Tanku said this decision on the extension will save the country millions of dollars.
02:04Pantran-Bago, the global governing body for steel pan, has expressed deep disappointment
02:09following the government's decision to defer the official inclusion of the steel pan
02:14on Trinidad and Tobago's coat of arms to 2031.
02:19The move comes despite the amendment, Pantran-Bago says,
02:22being unanimously passed and proclaimed into law earlier this year.
02:27Pantran-Bago says the decision marks a step backward in national cultural recognition.
02:32President of the organization, Beverly Ramsey-Moore, who is on the National Carnival Commission's board,
02:38expressed disappointment that after both the government and opposition unanimously supported the amendment,
02:45the implementation is now being delayed.
02:47She says deferring to 2031 sends an unfortunate message not only to the steel pan community,
02:54but to every citizen who celebrated this long-awaited moment of national pride.
02:59Pantran-Bago emphasizes that the steel pan's inclusion is more than symbolic.
03:04It recognizes a global cultural achievement that has shaped Trinidad and Tobago's creative economy,
03:10tourism and international reputation.
03:13In a statement issued today, Pantran-Bago says it remains committed to working with the government
03:17to uphold the historic amendment, but urges transparency and dialogue regarding the new 2031 timeline,
03:25warning that the delay risks undermining years of cultural progress.
03:30The organization reaffirms its dedication to advancing the steel pan movement locally and internationally,
03:36calling for the national will expressed in Parliament to be respected in full.
Be the first to comment
Add your comment