The government of Dominica has signed seventeen (17) contracts amounting to over $4 million for priority intervention works designed specifically to address issues of safety and good performance of the island’s road infrastructure.
Communities to receive attention are Pichelin, Eggleston, Castle Comfort, Giraudel, Upper Kingshill (Reigate area), Giraudel, Bagatelle, Campbell with Geneva in Grandbay receiving the largest chunk for a project amounting to $1.2 million for a new box culvert close to the playing field, among other additional works.
The contracts were signed by local contractors at a ceremony held at the Ministry of Finance conference room at the Financial Centre on Wednesday.
“As we seek to build back our roads better, we therefore, have a responsibility as a government to ensure that in that effort, all and sundry can enjoy a piece of the national cake,” Acting Prime Minister Rayburn Blackmoore said a signing ceremony.
He stated that it is important that the government create an environment for opportunities, “for our people to build back better lives.”
“And I think it’s within that perspective therefore what we are doing here today must be understood and appreciated,” Blackmoore remarked.
He called on citizens to use this opportunity to come together.
“We cannot build back a better country if, first of all, we do not build back better relationship with each other,” he stated.
Minister of Public Works and Ports, Miriam Blanchard stated that the projects will have a positive impact on the economy of Dominica.
“It will create jobs and improve the standard of living of many citizens of Dominica,” she noted. “Moving forward the ministry will continue to focus on addressing the damage to the physical infrastructure caused as a direct consequence of Tropical Storm Erika last year.”
According to her, while these contracts have been awarded for only some geographic areas, “it does not mean that there are no projects planned for other areas.”
“In fact, we have a number of other contracts that have been tendered that we expect to sign in the next coming days or weeks,” Blanchard noted.
She said plans are in place to undertake a complete road rehabilitation program particularly in Roseau and its environs as well as in other parts of the island.
She said the government remains committed to ensuring the well-being and safety of road users and all citizens of Dominica.
Meantime Parliamentary Representative for the Grandbay constituency, Justina Charles, said the major project to be undertaken in that area will provide employment for many young people.
She also called on small contractors on the island to position themselves so that when those opportunities arise, they can capitalize and take advantage of it, “and it is an opportunity for them to grow into bigger contractors and can undertake larger projects.”
“It is also an opportunity to make sure that we can employ quite a few of our young people,” Charles stated.
On Tuesday the government signed contracts for the undertaking of four projects in the Roseau Valley totalling at about $506,000.
Even though we know that these contracts represents some sort of truce for the West Bridge procurement fiasco in Roseau, we should still be grateful that attention will be finally given to important segments of our road and infrastructure systems. It is NOT right to oppose or criticize simply for the sake of opposing. This is in fact GOOD NEWS for Dominica and the people of the affected Communities with far more that needs to be done Island-wide! I, in this instance, applaud the Government for finally beginning to take the initiative to address the restoration, rebuilding and safety challenges that the Country now faces after the passage of Tropical Storm Erika. I further caution this Administration to not get complacent with these BEGINNING efforts and to continue to move vigorously to address the remaining roads, walls, and culverts that continue to remain in dire need of attention all around the Island. Dominicans when something is a step in the right direction SAY SO!!!
Garcon all road in Dominica bad. I not hearing nothing from the “Peep Peep Minister” i guess hi Hilux doesn’t feel them pot holes the people on the north does go in. Time will tell…. people getting smart these days cahmem!!!
omg hear Dominicans boy, awah smh…one at a time people, one at a time. everything cannot be done all at once
all roads in portsmouth bad,
contracts contracts contracts , all of a sudden,,
everytime he is about to ask dominicans for something , he starts dishing out moneys, contracts , hotels, airport, and lies,
but ,a people gets what they deserves,, because , if a man fools you once , he’s a fool , but if he fool you two and three times ,there’s no question about it, for ,you are a fool,, but one thing know is that , You never fool a donkey twice ,but you for sure fool an ass, ,because , not all donkeys are asses,
Colihaut School…………………..
what about a little concrete for the layou bypass area? kelver you are always yapping why don’t you do something about it? we all know this bypass is going to be the main road for a long time to come. so do something about it!!!!!
please give the little piece of road in the botanical gardens a little consideration. For God’s sake its the botanical gardens! concrete it do something man!
A NATIONAL ATTRACTION AND TOURISM SITE and a much used roadway. IT is like Dominicans of today have NO CLASS. Thats road is deplorable, uneven, NO sidewalks or walkways, broken, pot hole filled. We are ouw own biggest enemy. the bigger heads act like they dont live here or see the problems. Instead of having the grand sewo for a bridge that yet to build, have a modest ground breaking like how mamo and dem used to do, cut ribbon say your speech and go, so you can use that sewo money to fix a piece of road, put up lighting somewhere, fix a sidewalk, put proper signs for foreign drivers, pay people to cut overhanging bush on roads. DO SOMETHING OF WORTH! instead of partying before you work.
While these stipend projects will feed the hungry families and put their starving to death on hold and postpone their mortuary appointments by a few more weeks, I cannot help but notice how these guys come up with bread crumbs for the locals and pat themselves on the back thinking that they’re doing something big after the big contract was handed to Barbados. What 4 little million dollars going do to stimulate a dead economy? To the broke laborites this 4 million will be gold. But for the wise neutrals and UWP specialists, we know that this is chicken feed and it’s just an attempt to heal the wounds Skeritt inflicted on the vast unemployed population as a mark of apology for the project he gave to the Bajans. Why are they here bragging about road repairs when drivers have been paying road tax for nothing for the longest while? Talking crap about “all and sundry can enjoy a piece of the national cake” after Skeritt has been caught cutting entire cakes in the Far East with you know who!
the bajans gave help after TS Erika take dam hike,you just spitting crap because you and them other clowns who have made no contributions to dominica wrote to fast,now it is falling back in your faces,our people are fine in dominica,hope you are doing fine in the diasspora
The road in Paix Bouche ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
No mention of Rodney Street Portsmouth?
You all voted Labour… now live with it!
But but but
What happen, Govt. officials don’t drive from Pte. Michel to Soufriere too?
Do they visit up there by boat ?
I cannot remember having heard any mention of road maintenance, repair or up grade for that area
since Chavez built the Soufriere Scott’s Head road .
Nous par moon too?
No employment prospects for de folks up that way too , especially the youth ?
I VEX WEE BOY
The power of unified voices,now we are seeing that all the monies given to the Government of Dominica after Tropical Storm Erica is being put to use after pressure from Dominicans, good job citizens. Don’t give up there is still more work to be done by this government? Roseau need a serious upgrade….and very soon.. Information from the Panamagate Fiasco will also force the government to put the money in rebuilding Dominica to a perfect high standard… Next is the shanty towns to get rid off and build decent housing for the underprivileged. Patrick John did the bathestate housing scheme… We need more of those to house poor homeless Dominicans. And to get rid of all them galvanize rotting fowl cages in and around Roseau….
Wow! That’s a contract per government minister man? I guess each of the ministers have a contract on the name of a friend. Good luck with all you contracts during hurricane season. I wonder how many of them will finish
17 Contracts and 4 million dollars? A joke that man? What kind of rehabilitation can take place on 17 road projects with only 4 million? . Tell me i read wrong please
Always Assertive!
What about the Elmshall bridge?
What about the Warner to sultan road which is a major road linking to mahaut where a landslide took a large portion of the road and and drivers have to be passing on the edge of the slide.