A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed on Thursday between the government of Dominica and NSG Management and Technical Services Ltd of Barbados for the upgrading of Roseau and Portsmouth.
Chairman of the company Stephen Hobson said at the signing ceremony that the island’s decision to upgrade both its towns could be a model for other Caribbean islands.
“I have to say in this case Dominica is leading because I think that what is being proposed here today could well become a model of the Caribbean as a whole,” he said at the signing ceremony which took place at the State House Conference Center.
“It gives me very great pleasure to be involved in this project,” Hobson said. “It’s is going to be a long project and I know that we are going to have to face a lot of challenges, but you know past generations also faced a lot of challenges and they overcame them.”
The Roseau and Portsmouth Enhancement Project is a Comprehensive Plan comprising a number of different projects related to the urban infrastructure upgrading and enhancement to include the road network, bridges, drainage, street lighting and streetscape of Roseau and Portsmouth of the Commonwealth of Dominica in addition to the improvement of the flow of traffic in Roseau and public administrative building in Portsmouth.
The first phase comprises engineering design for the project and construction works for a new West Bridge, rehabilitation of Independence Street and road realignment at Cabrits, in the vicinity of the Morocco funded hotel project.
Actual construction on the project is expected to begin in the “first quarter of next year,” consultant at the NSG Management and Technical Services Ltd, Ian Fields revealed.
He is called for cooperation from the general public during the construction phase of the project.
“Some of the challenges that the general public will not see is the work that goes into ensuring that what is built is lasting and is functional,” he noted.
He said prior to the construction phase there will be three to four months of “careful” planning and designing with the government. Priority will be given to the West Bridge, temporary and long term parking and upgrades on Independence Street.
Minister for Public Works, Energy and Ports Rayburn Blackmoo,re who also addressed the ceremony, noted that this month is proving to be a very important one.
“The month of October 2014 is certainly proving to be a very important one in our history as a people,” he said. “And of course today we are just about to witness the very historic moment in our social and political development as a people, the signing of the MOU that will lead towards the total transformation and revitalization of the cities of Roseau and Portsmouth.”
Blackmoore noted that the country cannot realize any significant economic and social development without a strong physical and social infrastructure.
I’m very happy this necessary upgrade is being considered and there is a vision behind it. I am concerned about the company that was given the project, though they have somehow been in business in the UK for 40 years, they have only been in business in the Caribbean for 8 years. Also the Director of the company (Janet Hobson) which ironically shares the same last name with the chairman (Stephen R Hobson) has been freelancing with employment at other companies in 2001 (Viatel) and 2012 (chosen inheritance ltd). Now the CEO and chairman Stephen R Hobson used to head the same company in Florida US in 1980, at which time janet Hobson was the secretary, now she is the Director of the company, their Florida location/business no longer exists. I hopefull for this project but NSG is an 8 person company that specializes in procuring equipment not redesigning cities. I wish the project sponsors the best of luck and can only pray that they did their vetting of this company and can clearly identify what a successful outcome will be and when. I can gurantee that these people are going to mark up all the equipment and someone may or may not get a cut in that markup. Just saying.
This is just another of DLP deceptive and expensive hoax. The Roseau Project is a very old project, that the DLP is unable to execute. Another sign that DLP is bankrupt of ideas, they are trying to recycle old plans that they are unable to execute.CHANGE IS A MUST.
Kristina suck it to them baby!
Hmmm….they going to cash in some final kick backs before we KICK THEM OUT OF OFFICE!!!!!
I’m a supporter of DLP & Skeritt because I believe he has done many great things for the country but I’m also an objective, tough and fair person which is why I’m probably not in politics… this project is a sham! anyone with half a brain can tell this company NSG is not well vetted.
At the rate them jokers building ,resurface and fixing road before elections I won’t be surprise if they build a road to Bird Island .lol!
Did you people hear Blackbeard this afternoon and tonight on DBS news? The partner look like he learn a new word boy did he abuse it.
Look like X-mas came early for him with his new toy word.
I really feeling sorry for these guys but moreso D/cans like me who have to listen to this abuse of the English language.
Sorry typo: that ought to have read resurfacing
Bro it’s been 15 years though…
this belly aching by some bloggers on this forum is getting boring. Let us support progress in our country when we see it. this administration is really working.
Maybe their belly aches for real, even have an ulcer after living for so long under such a rotten regime. You ever think about that?
Just keep doing big things.
Let them talk nonesense
ya right !b4 election. They know winning is defending their lives. They have to win by any means necessary they even quoting Bro Malcolm
Skrit knows he facing jail if he loses. No ifs buts nor maybes.
So keep on reading the bloggers gripes(. )you are so insignificant you call urself( .) you like one of the little Johnny jokes . Little johnny was in class just running his mouth as usual and not drawing something as the teacher asked them to do.
The teacher realized little johnny was just hablar-inglike you( .)So she called on him first. The little sh did not draw anything so he quickly put a( on his page. He goes to the teacher saying he drew a plane. teacher asked him help her see it. he said teacher the plane is so high in the sky you cannot see it.
(.) you are little Johnny and an insignificant (.)
you wish that you could GAG people so that they would not talk.
Utter Rubbish!
A ploy to distract the indecisive voters!
What plans do you have for this run down Princess Margaret Hospital. Please change it’s name to Roosevelt Skerrit Hospital, Ambrose George Ward, Justina Charles Ward etc – PMH is a true reflection of the PM and his puppets and how they govern upside down with no vision!!!
Mr. Blackmooore do I need an MOU to fix the road behind my backyard?
Yes Kristina you need one, with your contractor!!!!! What’s wrong with all you ppl? you too blue to accept change??
Kristina you is not good! lol! IS 4 for effect like my partner would say growing up. I love you Kristina. If you are red they will give you one lol!
I am a skeptic…. I hearing first that it will be long project so I guess we will have to wait for a while to see something worthwhile.
So why de rush to give George trucking that 1/2 million dollars for that wall.
please what is the time frame???
How much will it cost?
I don’t believe anything. This is a front for vote catching
Project will start long after election and never finish.
While we on election… what is the update on the petite soufriere to Rosalie road?
5 years up and you failed to deliver
I HAVE NO FAITH IN THIS FAILED ADMINISTRATION
Dissident that’s a joke okay!”
I am a skeptic…. I hearing first that it will be long project so I guess we will have to wait for a while to see something worthwhile.”
I thought it was one of our Sino Denizens writing lol as it read it will be long project No ( a) sounded like a sino speaking English without an article. lol hahahahahahah
Someone told me that Caribbean folks, especially officials, like to talk. And so they did. This ceremony could have been much shorter. Mr Blackmoore just rambled on about other projects DLP did… totally unnecessary for this event. Mr George rambled on about Labor this and that…. totally unneeded… a bunch of ‘mepuis’.
I think the folks who should have had something substantive to say were the mayors of Roseau and Portsmouth, the design company and Mr Blackburne. But it should all have been limited to the projects. A lot of wasted time bragging about other stuff.
I mean, people know you are in power, and are responsible for all these projects… no need for the politicking.
In your development for Roseau please ensure that all non official vehicles remain outside of the city during pick hours. Roseau is too congested already to have so many vehicles in the city. What about the days we were happy to walk to Roseau and meet and greet our friends. These were the days.. I am suggesting to the mayor of Roseau. To keep Roseau free from all these vehicles. Why do someone from bath estate for eg need a car to go to astaphans. Or any where else in Roseau. I suggest allow certain transportation to take people to their homes after their grocery shopping. That depends on the quantity of the groceries. Let’s make an effort to make Roseau look like a garden of Eden. Yes we can
I suggest we start charging for parking.
what about our health care them fellas mad mad mad grand health center don’t even have drips come on man time to go call it know call it i can’t take more of that BS :
Rehydration the WHO doctors with Borders, Dr. FET etc have told us Ebola people need. So no drio in the health center & hospital how are we ready for Ebola? Tim what you plan to give all these peeps coming for WCF coconut water? lol
Oh ! is now I get it Walter Mathew Argi-Min went to Cuba on an Ebola conference there is where the coconut water coming in there.
Now we get it Tim. Is it good for Autism too?
I was about to say we need a hospital please… Not because i am living in the us i am not concerned about the well being of my country. Imagine i had a container of pain med i am not even using, and it hurt my heart to know that patients family has to go buy pain med and bring to hospital for their family. Stop the crap abput project da need a good hospital.
Typo error about
I am looking forward to seeing this come to fruition which will beautify both towns. It is something to look forward to. Please ensure that there are street lights specifically in the busy sections as Independence Street and King George V Street, leading from and to the two bridges. Pedestrians will be elated and that finally they could cross those streets in safety with no fear.
Also Great George Street.
…George not that great anymore!
dominicans be vigilant now the election is at hand ,the dlp will pretend that they can do all things. they will even promise you the sun , moon and stars labour party has taken the art of deception to the next level.
Even the devil Skerrit and his Labar party will try to fool, but they cann’t fool us all the time.
A pack of BS! If you are going to fix Roseau and just move the road in front of the Moroccan Hotel (built without an Environmental Impact Assessment) and build an administrative building in Portsmouth, why make it look like a BIG development is coming to Portsmouth. The most important town infrastructure Portsmouth needs now is a central sewage system. Literally, the SHIT had begun to back up and E.coli level in the Prince Rupert Harbour is approaching unsafe levels.
Drainage!!! The new drains in Portsmouth send water back to Rodney Street worsening an already bad situation. Where was the planning in that?
What they couldn’t do in 14 years they trying to do in few months. SMH. That’s why we have to change the government.
Xavier you are so right.They will still put labar there because they are being fooled again.They always saying labar working,I saying labar not working all they di is half jobs.To the labor party please complete all the half jobs u have all around Dominica.
To some of us i guess we are all perplex to all the signing of MOU and other projects taking place across the island. Its all okay. Its call an administration at work. I am not a labor supporter, but a far back as i can remember no other administration has in the history of Dominica undertake and accomplish projects and programs like this one. Blackheartman made a good point on finding engineers locally for the projects. Sadly when local engineering firms start sandblasting government or administration in power, sometimes government retaliate buy finding other venues. I think we have to much idle time seating next to our computers waiting for the next blog on DNO just to reply like or dislike. Please do not let time pass you by. My advice is get your RESUME ready instead of wasting time. Because if you dont, all you will end up doing is driving mud trucks and pushing wheel barrows while others are eating your pie.
My PM can dominican workers do the job all work in the island goes to
Over/Under. Ten or more new projects will be announced before the next general elections.
A West Bridge? You mean they are actually constructing another bridge or expanding one. Please educate me since that would make 4 bridges in Roseau for less than a mile of water!!Where can on visit to view the comprehensive plan? and was there public input? pardon my ignorance…
If the Architects and Engineers of Dominica cannot stand up and defend their profession then go ahead Skerrit and insult them to the max.
This is madness! What type of memorandum of understanding is that? How can a Bajan firm be contracted to undertake a project of that magnitude without a public invitation for tenders?
What are terms of reference for this project?
Is it a design and build arrangement?
Dominican Architects and Engineers must stand up for their rights on this one. It reminds me of the story Randy Rodney plays about the Nazis.
They allowed the Chinese to build the State Palace, the State College,
the Bath Estate apartments, the Portsmouth road, Dominicans said nothing, the Trinis built the Financial Center, we said nothing, the Morroccans built the unfinishable hotel, nothing, now they bring Barbadians to build Roseau and Portsmouth.
I know it is a bluff, they have no money, the PHOTOSHOP presentation that was made in May was a real pappyshow. The Bajans are proposing to dig up Roseau again to place drains. But we should call their bluff and demand that the project must be tendered and the terms of reference made public.
Mack what would have been your comment if it was a Dominican firm awarded that mou in Barbados??
You ppl!!! SMDFH!!!!
The calypso season is over, same lyrics different tune. Now we are in the creole season let us have something different. That calypso has already been sang by both Joseph Isaac and Isaac Baptist of the UWP Team Dominica before. Please stop fooling the people.
They have to say what MOU is….so what about our local engineers and contractors…..shame
And you fool those fools ,Alas poor my people
blackmore and skeritt;; God will punish those foolish people that allow s you all to keep fooling them consistantly,because he made wisdom available and most of all ,,commonsense ,,But GOD have a special place for you all in hell for doing this to poor thinking poor and needy people
REMEMBER ,GOD will judge you, OK SANTA CLAUS
egbert charles is very well capable, to build such a project and in so doing the money would remain in Dominican hands. but we have a prime minister who’s allegiance is out ward looking.
nationalism, so you want to pull out the over 70 year old man out of retirement?? What about young ACE?
Guess it’s a longtime since you out, during your time was Egbert Charles so you still living in the days… wow
SMDFH!!!!!!!
All he does is outsource projects and those blind folded idiots still shouting LABAR POWER!!! https://dominicanewsonline.com/news/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_rolleyes.gif
I am worried about Roseau now. The original enhancement was for Roseau, to be financed by part of the U.SA.$.40 million Chinese loan without any mention of Portsmouth. I suspect these plans will now be financed with recent package provided by the Worldbank, also announced this week but which should have been in place on 1 July. The priority for the improvements in Portsmouth look very much like an enhancement for the “Holy Trinity’s” private investment plans. I smell rotten fish.
Note: MSG are a Barbados based company but I’m not sure this has any bearing on the MOU
Rayburn Blackmore is the most annoying figure in Parliament.
Hmmmm…..’great and supreme leader’……sounds like North Korea or closer to home, today’s Venezuela………Pathetic!!!!
Skerrit and his band have all you in his back pocket….. ebeh look boyoun…
Guess we do not any architectural or engineering consultin firms down here capable of doing this jobs smh no chance to increase human reasource skills and competencies
LOl Lol Lol
construction to begin next year. the year of election…Waw.. I knew this Government to Dominicans for Idiots but did not realize it was that bad to make it so obvious… A Minister of health that have no time to focus on a possible epidemic that he just hand that to the Minister of Agriculture after all he has nothing doing anyway now this…..
Good Luck with that… One day we Dominicans will open our eyes even though by then it will be very much to late..Who cant see will feel..
Always negative and critical. Never a good word, compliment and encouragement. What type of human being are you?
“Construction to begin in the first quarter of next year”, so I am guessing that within now and construction time an inventory of the built environment along with a design will be final, construction documents and all? for 2 towns Roseau and Portsmouth! now that’s something to be seen! unless it’s some mediocre work, i can’t phantom this much work being executed within such a short space of time. where is the voice of the local architects and engineers?
How can our local engineers be part of some “grand” vote wining scheme? After all they have a conscience and Skerro will NOT involve them because he knows that whole MOU is not realistic and the local engineers will NOT stay moo-moo on it.
This is all a Gimmick and thats why the friends of “Sir Hartley” are the ones involved. Kick-back Bucks for the boys! Granted, they will get paid for the consultation because taxpayers money have to be slyly funneled to the election campaign of the DLP somehow through kickbacks. Just imagine “Ambrusia” otherwise known as “STICKY FINGERS” involved in such a major money project
. I can see the smile on his face all the way to the bank 
. Ebeh, ebeh, ebeh, LAYBAR really kar MALTWAVAY! But Change Is A Must, and NOT AN OPTION.
Assertive, NOT Aggressive!
Shameless one day you and your party will learn to RESPECT people we, keep including everybody in all you coshonie still!!!!!
SMDFH
I hope all the pit toilets in roseau will be gone by then.
Election should be Every Year !! If it was LAZY DLP would maybe show they can do something. Everything they have done so far is so mediocre its amazing they cannot realize what it is to be in the 21 century and getting ready for the 22nd….
So no signing for anything for Grand Bay? What about La Plain? Magwe sah!!
u mean laplain ppl still poo pooin in pit toilet
AGAIN, here is another example of Labor Power at work for ALL Dominicans. The few who speak ill of this Administration are struggling to find words to condemn another good deed brought about by the intelligent and sophisticated ministers of the Labor Party! Within this agreement we find the enhancement of our two major cities to include new roads, proper drainage, and modern, state-of-the art facilities. Very soon, under Labor Power, walking in Roseau or Portsmouth will be like walking in New York City. All this is credited to the great Prime Minister’s abilities in seeking out, finding and bringing home the big money! Does anyone here believe that the Loser Lizard from Marigot can bring home the millions in funding that the Great and Supreme Leader does? Just looking at the novice’s face alone is enough to know that he would be lucky if he gets a souvenir to bring home from our Foreign friends! If you love the “mulla” you should vote for the “mulla” it’s simple! 21 to 0, let’s go!
Trubble ,you are blind ,and shame on you if that fooling you alas, your children will be ashame of you,
I endorse your comments. Those of us who reside abroad cannot wait to see the completion of Roseau and Portsmouth, to visit and to brag about it.
Remember, beauty is in the eyes of the beholder.
It is obvious that the PM has done well for Dominica. I wish him another election term. God bless him.
I would like you and the minister to include in your stupid escapade how much it’s going to cost the TAX payers of the country. Did you deliberately leave this OUT? smart eh but not cleaver. Fool me once shame on you; fool me twice shame on me.
Desperate men grasping at straws. This is the second ceremony they having for this ‘dream project’. This all came about because the opposition party(team dominica) disclosed that they will embark on a city improvement project. Now just weeks before a general election the desperate labour regime is trying to score points on a bogus virtual concept that they stole.
When this upgrading is completed, every D/can will be the beneficiary of the beautiful sight and will be proud of it. Therefore, cease your critique.
I’m loving it! Good job DLP.
Far too late!…..after 14yrs now you know these things needed to put in place. You first and then the country?
You should have given the government some money and help in some sort of fundraising to perform this work. Much has already been done. First things first. Learn to appreciate them.
Yep it’s our turn now, we sat back and look at everywhere else go theirs till people say we were dumb hope the same people start asking why everything is for Portsmouth now?
typical portsmouth people , what turn ?fool yourself as usual i am from portsmouth , but im ashamed of my people, 60, years of promisses ,but we still waiting ,Im happy im free from that curse ,that generational curse
hmm, why can’t Public servants get a raise in salary, why is all the monies around at the 11th hr and nothing for them
the economy of dominica doesn’t exist period….
these are all aspects by the labour party to trick and fool the masses at the last min before the elections
whether if dominicans will be fooled for the 4th time will be interesting as their brains are located in their feet..
what a foolish society Dominica is….thus they will remain the poorest and unattractive for investors….
Xavier you only saying that because you support the UWP Team Dominica that is lead by a Political NOVICE!!!!!
“whether if dominicans will be fooled for the 4th time will be interesting as their brains are located in their feet.”
Xavier garcon! wheather and if don’t come together in a sentence. Teacher Litham did not teach you man! neither Mr.James Alexander.
Look like ur brains under ur platt pie.
qui les ou yea? Un cooleve enbain or sort?