The Cabinet of Antigua and Barbuda has approved an EC$5.2 million budget for Carnival 2026, while simultaneously moving to strengthen financial oversight at the Antigua and Barbuda Festivals Commission amid months of public concern over its management and governance.
According to Antigua Observer, Director General of Communications Maurice Merchant confirmed that Cabinet was informed a special committee has been established within the Commission to address the ongoing governance concerns.
The dual announcement signals that the government is seeking to balance its commitment to the country's flagship cultural celebration with renewed accountability measures at the body responsible for managing it. Public scrutiny of the Festivals Commission's financial practices has grown in recent months, prompting calls for greater transparency and structural reform.
The establishment of the special committee is seen as a direct response to those concerns, though the full scope of its mandate has yet to be disclosed publicly.
