A free eye care clinic for Dominican students, procurement of office equipment for the Office of the Prime Minister, road projects, the renaming of the island’s major airport, funds for the public support program (Red Clinic) are among matters in the Supplementary Estimates of Expenditure for the financial year ending June 30, 2015, that Prime Minister and Minister for Finance, Roosevelt Skerrit, has taken to parliament for approval.
The total expenditure of $14,379,814.16 was brought before the Second Meeting of the First Session of the Ninth Parliament under the Commonwealth of Dominica Constitution on Wednesday, May 27, 2015.
The sum of $111,000 was allocated to the Ministry of Health to meet personnel endowments of officers employed with the “I can See clearly Now” Eye Care Program which will provide free eye care screening for all school children in Dominica as well as the treatment required.
The government of Cuba will provide assistance in the delivery of this program.
Skerrit noted that the sum of $9,867,219 was spent in respect to the Ministry of Public Works and Ports.
$1,963,934 was required for continued implementation of the Penville to Vielle Case Road project, $6,136,545 was needed to undertake vegetation management and routine road maintenance in various parts of the island as well as to implement road projects in several communities to include Bioche, Toucarie, Capuchin, Canefield, Antrim, Pagua to Melville hall, Canefield Industrial site, Grand Fond, Grand Bay.
In respect to the Electoral Office, the Prime Minister noted, the total sum of $1,352,523 was appropriated to meet expenses relating to the December 2014 general election
In the Office of the Prime Minister the amount of $1,841,117 was allocated.
As part of this sum, $1,500,000 was provided for funding of social commitments of under the public support program or Red Clinic, while the sum of $245,117 was required to meet expenses for the official ceremony of the renaming of the then Melville Hall airport to the Douglas-Charles Airport.
In addition to the above the sum of $96,000 was required for the procurement of equipment for the Office of the Prime Minister.
Eighty-eight percent of the money for the estimates, that is $12,702,923, were from local resources, three percent, or $4,068, 936, came from loan funds while the remainder, eight percent or $277,950, came grant resource.
Additionally Skerrit will also introduce a bill for an Act to provide for the regulation of the banking business, the establishment of a single banking space and for incidental and related matters and the repeal of the Banking Act, No. 16 of 2005.
Prime Minister Skerrit will also present to the House the Schedule of Supplementary Appropriation for the first and second quarter (July to December 2014) and the report of the Director of Audit on the audit of Public Accounts for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2012.
I don’t think slavery is over , we have a country with 70 thousand people, and on both sides the time spend on doing nothing. How could we manage a corporation with 70.000 people. When are we going to lear to manage and get things done. ? As I say if you want changes in governments, change the model at the university, they teach us to argue fight, do nothing, and talk about shakespear, they did not teach us how to think and run governments, and create jobs. I see no change coming soon. We only react and make noise no one is coming up with any ideas how to do it better. What about a water company in portsmouth to supply the boats in the harbour
Another bogus budget by SKERRIT REGIME BORING.
Correction name is Dr. H. Shillingford-Ricketts
Consultant Ophthalmologist
Princess Margaret Hospital
In Dominica we do provide free eye care to our children from the 1980s. The Family Nurse Practitioners conduct an annual school health program for 5 year olds in grade K and 11 year olds in grade 6. Their examination include dental health, eyes, ears, height, weight etc. Those who fail this screening are referred to the appropriate specialists. The children are examined by the eye team including the Ophthalmologist in the Primary Health Districts Eye Clincs held on a Thursday, Those from the Roseau Health District are examined at the Princess Margaret Hospital on the first Friday of the month. Those who are prescribed spectacles and they can’t afford to pay for them are referred to the Social Welfare Dept. Some get assistance from the Christian Children Fund. Those who need eye surgery are operated on free of charge as public patients. Children from other grades are referred if they have learning problems or eye complaints. Most children who need spectacles are about 11…
Supplementary for what? To pay hotel and give travel allowances? What is happening in Dominica that calls for supplement? If they want to take more money the opposition needs to ask them to bring notarized receipts of every cent that was used. You cannot ask for more money when you not giving us proof of how our money was spent.
I’m there reading part of the report of the Supplementary Estimates how those money were spent. 88% of the money for the estimates , that is $12,702,923 were from local resources, 3% OR $4,068,936 came from loan funds, while the remainder 8% OR $277,950 came from grant resources DNO, I would like to know whether there was a mistake in calculating these figures, if 3% was over 4 millions, why 8% could be a little over a quarter million. I would think that 8% would be in the region of 11-12 millions. I’m asking myself how these figures were drawn up. I’m looking out for the response
I hope the opposition demanded some explanations regarding some of the expenditure. In particular the $1,500,000 for the Red Clinic. Skerrit says it’s needed for social commitments. I ask, social commitments to whom and for what. I guess only DLP supporters. This Red Clinic is totally unjust and unfair. If you want a fund for social commitments it should be administered by a specific department, that allocates funds to specific people in need regardless of their political conviction. It most certainly should not be administered by the PM. However, if he wants to redistribute some of his personal wealth, fell free to do so but do it from your private villa in VC.
To all those who have accused the Blessed Prime Minister and his Cabinet of not being honest and transparent, I hope this expression of responsible and open governance will shut you up once and for all! His Holiness, The Esteemed and Ordained, Dr. Roosevelt Skerrit can account for every single expenditure under his watch. The same could not be said about the Uneducated Wicked People’s regime during their brief and destructive reign. We saw an empty treasury and the most dreadful accounting ever encountered in Government. This is exactly the reason why the majority of Dominicans are thankful to God that the Labour Party is at the helm and will NEVER AGAIN vote these novices and troublemakers into Office. We prayed for better management of our Country’s affairs and our prayers were answered in the person of His Majesty, our Blessed and Most Loved, Dr. Roosevelt M. Skerrit. Let the Labourites say….AMEN!
LMAO. You killing me this morning.
You are one blind and sick puppy!
You know what I’m sick of you labouroflove go hide your face under Alex Boyd skirt.
You were told the treasury was empty but what did the gov’t do to replenish it?
1. They implemented austerity measures
2. They implemented VAT
3. Sold more passports
No rocket science
It is clear that this government cannot prudently manage the affairs of the country and they continue to do things to gain political points only. How you can find money to do all of these shit and you cannot find monies to fix road to produce. I mean how much more idiotic can you be? you spend how much money in penville, how much production that the country gets from there. This government continues to use the tax payers money for shit.
These guys continue to be schooled by the opposition in bringing matters to the fore, they are in government have all the information and comes in the house and make asses of themselves. They cannot debate and shed any positive light or give positive direction to any debate. They cannot educate the young people just a bunch of jokers. They are still pissed off that they did not win the Roseau seats and have never recovered from that so they are incapable of forming a positive thought
Hold on….More $$ was spent in the red clinic than for the electoral office in an election year??? Just end it now. This is beyond protest. Dominica should not be allowed to exist!
All the begging and pleading for help for farmers, to fight child abuse, schools dilapidated, hospitals closing, and the office of prime minister gets $96K for new equipment? Can we get a list of this fahreeking equipment?!
A minister of finance who boast of his prudent skills in management of country finance. Smdh. Election is every 5 years and is expected to be called before June. Last year’s budget was presented in summer elections was in December and only now funds are appropriated for election expenses. Talk about accountability!!! A supplemental budget to cover party at airport, an overrun at pm constituency road, red clinic, equipment for PM office and more socialist crap. This must be some real high tech equipment. A list of those equipments and procurement process, I hope is made public. Where is the money for R and D of our coconut products. Waste of time!!!!
Waw… the government spent and i quote “while the sum of $245,117 was required to meet expenses for the official ceremony of the renaming of the then Melville Hall airport to the Douglas-Charles Airport.”
To just rename an Airport?
I Give up….Dominicans will never learn.