Soca Queen Fay-Ann Lyons-Alvarez will be receiving $750,000 instead of the $1 million first place prize for the 2009 International Soca Monarch competition.
During last year's launch of the competition at the Queen's Park Oval, Port of Spain, Caribbean Prestige Foundation executive president, Gregory Fernandez, had announced that the winner of the category would receive $1 million. But in a letter dated March 5 sent to Lyons-Alvarez, Fernandez wrote, "We write to the statement made by the Honourable Marlene Mc Donald of the Ministry of Community Development, Culture and Gender Affairs, that the first prize of the International Soca Monarch will be to the value of $750,000 and not $1,000,000 due to the economic downturn in the country.
"We regrettably wish to advise that the Ministry is responsible for the payment of the prizemoney, as such, the organisation has no option but to comply with the Minister's position as failure to do so will jeopardise the payment of the prizemoney which is due to you. All other prizemoney due to you remains the same."
In a telephone interview with the Express last night, Fernandez said Government was the major sponsor of the show. Read More
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