Negotiations with the various stakeholders for sponsorship of Grenada’s 2009 Carnival are to begin shortly. The Minister of State in the Ministry of Culture, Senator Arley Gill, has been spearheading government’s carnival efforts and liaising with the Carnival Committee. He says the Committee has been meeting since last December and has already put marketing structures in place. They include sponsorship solicitation. “Plans started long! I think everybody knows that by now” said Mr. Gill. “We are advanced in our planning and you will see advertisements this month, for Grenada’s carnival in August.” “Negotiations are to commence with the different stakeholders later on this month”, he said. Senator Gill says one of the committee’s major priorities will be to take care of unpaid bills from Carnival 2008. “There are some bills that need to be paid from 2008 carnival and I know that is top priority for the new Carnival Committee”, explained Mr. Gill. The Junior Culture Minister says he is committed to bringing Grenada’s Carnival on par with others in the region. “We are strongly of the view that islands like St. Vincent and St. Lucia have really surpassed us in their carnival”, he said. “In terms of their number of activities, in terms of the quality of their carnival, we want to set that right”, said the Junior Culture Minister, “we being so close to Trinidad, we don’t think anybody should come between us”. INSIDE GRENADA NEWS