PRIME MINISTER Freundel Stuart has given the assurance Barbados will not engage in excessive spending when it hosts CARIFESTA XIII next month.
He made this assertion on Thursday after he signed an agreement with CARICOM Secretary-General, Ambassador Irwin LaRocque to host the festival, as the Thirty-eighth Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community came to a close at the Grenada Radisson Beach Resort.
In response to a question from the media about spending for the event, Stuart stated: “We intend to be very disciplined in this exercise and to ensure that wherever savings can be effected strategically without compromising the integrity of the festival, we will ensure that those savings are made.”
The Prime Minister noted the festival was last held in Barbados over 30 years ago.
He added Government had made a commitment to host the event on behalf of the people of the Caribbean and Barbados was looking forward to meeting its obligations. 
The last CARIFESTA was held in Haiti in 2015, and CARIFESTA XIII will take place in Barbados from August 17 to 27.
Trinidad and Tobago will host CARIFESTA IV.
Meanwhile, the public is advised free tickets for the Opening Ceremony are now available for collection.
Tickets may be obtained from the National Cultural Foundation, West Terrace, St James; and the CARIFESTA Secretariat, Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth, Sky Mall, Haggatt Hall, St Michael, Monday to Friday, between 9:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.
For more information, interested persons are asked to call the CARIFESTA XIII Secretariat at 621-2700.
Persons are advised that tickets must be produced to gain entry into Kensington Oval for the ceremony, and only two tickets will be distributed per person at the given collection points. (BGIS)
