Thompson steps down as promoters’ president

Robert Thompson, former president of the Promoters' Association. - File Photo

Promoter Robert Thompson has confirmed stepping down as president and board member of the Promoters Association. In revealing this during an interview with Newsday on December 7, Thompson added there was no particular reason for his decision to quit the association.

Meanwhile, vice president Asha Green said in another phone interview also on December 7, that she could not speak to the matter.

However, she shared there had been no response from the government – following last week’s press conference on December 3 – to a request to meet with the association to discuss the impact of the government’s ban on state-owned venues for fetes and other Carnival events.

During that conference, Green had said the association was not seeking legal action and called on the government to reverse the ban. It urged the government to bring stakeholders to the table to provide clarity, fairness and workable parameters.

Green said on Sunday, “Unfortunately, that other media house would have, as you know, misrepresented our words. We are not currently seeking legal action and, at this time, I am not in a position to divulge next steps simply because we have not necessarily figured out what path we intend to take as an organisation.”

She also said, “We have not heard back from anybody in the administration since the press conference. And we are currently weighing our options with what we will do next. I don’t have a statement with respect to what our next steps will be, at this point.”

During the December 3 press conference, Green said the association had detailed a suite of noise-mitigation measures which, sometimes, exceeded those recommended by the State such as responsible speaker orientation, real-time sound monitoring, certified acoustic oversight and enhanced on-site management protocols.

Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, when she announced the ban, stated noise pollution was the main factors for the decision to ban fetes as all Udecott-controlled facilities.

Green and TTPA members said they were willing to work closely with Government, the Environmental Management Authority (EMA) and the National Carnival Commission (NCC) to ensure its proposed measures were “applied consistently, transparently and responsibly.”

On December 1, the association sent a ten-page letter to Persad-Bissessar requesting a response within 24 hours and outlining how the ban affected the industry and ways the state and the association could work together to solve the matter.

On December 5, the NGO Citizens Against Noise Pollution of Trinidad and Tobago (CANPTT) issued a release in support of the prime minister’s measures.

In that statement the association said the measures were aimed at protecting the health and well-being of citizens, particularly the sick, the elderly, infants, students, and residential communities and they were both timely and necessary.

“For decades, communities across TT have endured excessive noise levels that disrupt sleep, study, work, and overall quality of life, often without recourse or protection,” it said.

It responded to many of the TTPA’s claims made during the December 3 press conference and said, “Immediate action was necessary.

“While consultation is desirable, the protection of citizens who have endured years of excessive noise could not be delayed. Promoters’ complaints about ‘uncertainty’ reflect the same frustrations residents experience daily, yet TTPA’s statements fail to propose practical solutions, such as sound-level adjustments, curfews, or compliance with international noise standards. Commercial interests have historically benefited from unregulated noise, but the broader community bears the consequences.”

It urged the Government to maintain venue restrictions until enforceable national noise-control standards were implemented, ensure all future public events adhered to World Health Organization decibel limits and prioritise the protection of vulnerable citizens while incorporating noise management into long-term cultural planning.

It, too, said it was willing to collaborate with the Government. Lindy-Ann Bachoo is cited as the organisation’s vice president in online searches.