GOPIO CALLS ON GOVERNMENT TO INCREASE INDIAN ARRIVAL GRANTS

GOPIO Trinidad & Tobago

a Chapter of GOPIO INTERNATIONAL

PO BOX 2286, Chaguanas 687-7529 Fax: 665-5984 GopioTT@gmail. com

Deosaran Bisnath, President Ena Maraj, PRO Varsha Maharaj, Secretary Oscar Ramoutar, Treasurer
Directors: Niranjan Bhaggan, Robert Ramsamooj, Jaganath Seeram-Maharaj

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 22nd, 2009



GOPIO CALLS ON GOVERNMENT TO INCREASE INDIAN ARRIVAL GRANTS

&nbs p; GOPIO Trinidad & Tobago wishes to express our disappointment with the grants allocated by the Ministry of Community Development, Culture and Gender Affairs, earlier today (May 22nd, 2009), for the observance and celebration of Indian Arrival Day, 2009..


GOPIO Trinidad and Tobago, a national organization, was allocated a mere $5,000 to defray expenses for activities to mark the 164th Anniversary of the Arrival of East Indians in Trinidad and Tobago. This sum can’t even cover the cost of a PA system and venue preparation; surely, the Ministry is aware that this is a mere token amount compared with the expenses incurred in staging events in this country. GOPIO Trinidad & Tobago has requested an additional grant or else we shall return the $5,000 cheque to the Ministry.



At the cheque distribution event this morning, GOPIO Trinidad and Trinidad and others were informed that a TOTAL amount of approximately $750,000 was distributed to 56 organizations throughout Trinidad and Tobago. GOPIO contends that a total grant of ¾ million dollars of Indian Arrival Day events is grossly inadequate, as well as embarrassingly unrealistic and unfair.



GOPIO is requesting the following: a larger total grant should be distributed to more organizations throughout the country; these groups throughout the country are in dire need of financial assistance to cover expenses incurred in activities marking this important occasion - important not only for Indo-Trinidadians, but for all citizens, as was enunciated by some speakers at the Ministry’s function this morning.



GOPIO looks forward to a favorable response from the Ministry in regard to our request for additional funds to cover the expenses for our activities for Indian Arrival Day 2009, and the allocation of a larger grant to be distributed to more organizations for other events during 2009, and in the future.

GOPIO Trinidad and Tobago, a chapter of GOPIO International, is a secular, non-partisan, registered non-profit and Non-Governmental Organization that is not associated with any political party or religious organization


Deosaran Bisnath, President,
GOPIO Trinidad & Tobago, a Chapter of GOPIO International.