Four contracts, valued in excess of EC$20-million have been signed for the rehabilitation of ten feeder roads on the island.
Works will be divided into lots, to cover the ten roads, and the improvement of access to the Londonderry Tissue Culture Weaning and Hardening Facility.
The initiative is funded by the European Union (EU), under the Banana Accompanying Measures (BAM) program.
National Authorizing Officer for the European Development Fund, Carleen Roberts, highlighted the importance of the renovation of feeder roads, in relation to the BAM program.
“The underlying reason we have persevered, despite everything, is that we firmly believe that the dedicated Dominican farmers need the feeder roads,” she said. “We know that if the raison d’être of the BAM program is to be realized—that is, agricultural production and exports are to increase—the roads which serve the major agricultural belts must be repaired.”
However, Roberts stated that the true value of the investment will only be seen in the farmers’ output.
“But roads on their own mean very little,” she remarked. “We must produce those agricultural commodities which the consumers want, market-acceptable standards, in sufficient quantities, at the right price, on a regular basis, if we are to see the impact of this huge investment.”
She hinted at the development of a Road Maintenance Plan, with funding from the EU, to ensure the sustainability of the roads.
The first contract was signed with Managing Director of Trayvis EURL, Philippe Varbon of Martinique, for the renovation of the Syndicate and Mero-Cuba Salisbury feeder roads—a project valued at EC$6.7-million.
The Middle Ride, Mango Gutter, Montine, Ti Grand Fond, Fweyal-Bois Dernier, and Bois Bellevue feeder roads are to be restored by Charles Daher, Managing Director of Nationwide Mobile Concrete Suppliers Ltd of St. Lucia. The venture is valued at EC$3.7-million.
General Manager of Travaus Publics Batiments, Roland Coursil of Martinique, was contracted for the renovation of the Melville Hall and Colihaut feeder roads. The project is expected to cost EC$9.1-million
The improvement to access to the Londonderry Tissue Culture Weaning and Hardening Facility is to be handled by Francis Emmanuel, General Manager of Offshore Civil and Marine Inc. of Dominica, at a cost of EC$1.9-million.
Minister of Agriculture, Johnson Drigo, the projects are expected to benefit 5,073 farmers, across 16,092 acres of productive land.
The project is expected to be completed within 12 months.
For ten years now al we hear this crap signing agreement here and there and after years of this corrupt government there is nothing yo prove or show that any meaningful progress as far as development, jobs, employment, investment into the communities have taken place. This is poor planning, lack developmental and sustainable vision.
This is just another project, another fanfare, another distraction
Is the any info as to the length and width of roads to repair?
The only think great about this contract is that very beautiful woman I never had the opportunity to marry.
Hey farmers from Grand Fond, Rosalie, and River cyrique, start planting now, Men Gwen, and providence farmers step up to the plate, do not wait to start planting the coco, coffee, Bwy Den, coconut, bring back the milk and honey as we knew it, lets hope they complete all the feeder roads and money does not run out. Im coming to do my part, seriously!!!! Oppss!!! we want toilet and wah room at our play ground, before the next General Elaections. I feel for Ivoy, the quiet nice guy is running after some different ###. The focus is on the wild life. Ivoy you`ve come a long way to each his own, the more the merrier my son.
I am so happy with our Prime Minister, who made sure Francis Emmanuel will pass ten times a day by the end of the melville hall runway in the sea surf heavy duty waves he francis made sure all the wesley and marigot drivers have to pass thru every day, so francis enjoy your sea waves all over again
and the only contract for a dominica is one given to one of the boys of labour. Yes i.
I am hoping that they start the repairs on the Cuba-Mero Salsbury road from the bottom because this road is really in a terrible condition and we still have to pay more for licence. It is really unfair to have vehicles travel on this terrible road on a daily basis.
Alas nothing for la plaine farmers .. labour paker twaviye Laplaine!!!! What about the road going up in SOW Fond canal Centre..soy.
The selection of roads involved various parameters including available production and productivity. Also, the roads were visited by the EU and they saw for themselves. Regional engineers, agri-business personnel and agronomists were brought in as well. Plus our own local people. Did you miss that one? Can we sacrifice roads that, inspite of their poor conditions farmers still produce heavily. That should be telling. Many La Plaine people stay away from farming, given all the available land.
But I not hearing anything in the works for the Hillsborough bridge area near Layou? Are they waiting for the river to take the rest of the road and the river wall first before they make a move? Kelva is useless for the St. Joseph constituency. He’s not fighting hard enough for us. All them outdated tablets he giving to them children to watch porn just won’t cut it
Diaspora, shut your bad breath we don’t need your opinion.
Oh you could smell my “bad breath” from right where you are. You must be a dog to have such powerful nose.
Since it is E.U. money the French have a right to be in it. I see P.M.’s pal Francis Emmanuel also have a piece in it, the only local contractor and I wonder if the French contractors will subscontract for their concrete with him. I also wonder if mr. Emmanuel’s company will be the subcontractor for the new west bridge in Roseau. Don’t think all Dominicans are backward my friend, we are watching.
So Miss Roberts you are asking the GOVT in short to now create proper markets for our products and come up with this using scientific information to determine the INTL consumers needs , quantities and INTL quality standards to be able to guide the local farming community.
I hope the GOVT can read in between the line…..I know you mean well.
EU we are thankful for BAM monies at this time to rehabilitation our farms roads.
Seriously, I am prepared to return to the foreign country that has benefited from 12 years of my knowledge as a professional in the construction/engineering field.
I am literally begging to make a contribution to my country development.
Lucky me!
How quick it is to get a response from a foreign company. in a matter of 3 days I’m already in discussion considering engagement.
Somehow there’s something about me that the company can see that they willing to pay for.
What is it they see that a local company is blind to.
Lucky me eh!
I’ve done it before and I’ll do it again and again.
Dissident, ,we want to see your 12years CVs not just talk.
The crumbs of the table went to a Dominican company as usual.
A. A. Gabriel
I tried to follow and listen objectively to the circumstances associated with the signing of these contracts. Firstly, if you had listened with an open mind you would have heard that the feeder road project is funded by the EU, which means automatic international tendering standards. That’s how they operate. Hence it couldn’t be the P.M. or even the technicians in the Ministry of Works selecting the contractor.
Further, you heard the P.M. say (of course you might not listen) that special negotiations were entered into to break the project into three lots to make it easier for local contractors to bid as it would have been nigh impossible for them to bid on the original large contract. In spite of that no local contractors qualified for award.
The one which went to the Dominican company is outlined above. I don’t understand how you people still expect sensible Dominicans to join the conversation reflecting your perspective when it is so obviously…
misleading.
I believe everyone had a field day on the bridge project which was not tendered and rightly so, because no one should have attempted to predict that local contractors would not have qualified for that but at least try to be fair on this one.
International contract, and road project is given to a concrete supply company as general contractor? Or to a man who is a manager of a concrete supply company? Where is the construction company? Or is it in the Caribbean/Dominica the names says nothing about what the company does? And why is the report saying the project was given to the person rather than a company? I am just confused. Help me out here. I am in the engineering business in the US and when construction projects are tendered they go to a general contractor, and a concrete company will only be a supplier who will be secured by the general contractor.
I certainly agree with the expressed statement that” the true value of the investment will only be seen in the farmers’ output….We must produce those agricultural commodities which the consumers want, market-acceptable standards, in sufficient quantities, at the right price, on a regular basis, if we are to see the impact of this huge investment.” Let us hope our people use the BAM resources to make a positive and significant impact.
Roads plays a very major important part in getting the most satisfactory production from the famers. without the proper roads, farmers are less motivated to go to their farms. Rainfall is plentiful in Dominica, so farmers get discourage when the road conditions gets even trick to maneuver.