Minister of Community Development, Gender Affairs and Social Services Gloria Shillingford says Cabinet has approved amendment to the Marriage Act, to accelerate moves in ensuring that Dominica becomes a top wedding and honeymoon destination.
She told the opening ceremony for a series of Wedding and Honeymoon Workshops this week that there is need for expediency in the processing of marriage license applications, if we are to compete with other destinations, and this is not what is available at present.
“I am happy to inform you that efforts are being made to address these concerns, and we are at the stage where Cabinet has approved amendments to the Marriage Act. These amendments –it is hoped-will greatly expedite the process and help place Dominica at the forefront as a wedding and honeymoon destination,” Shillingford said.
The workshops are being funded by the European Commission, and are spearheaded by the Ministry of Tourism and Discover Dominica Authority.
– DNO Correspondent
Should DNO have put this as the headline here for us to get it? “Efforts ongoing to facilitate processing of marriage licenses to accelerate moves in ensuring that Dominica becomes a top wedding and honeymoon destination”
Why are we so quick to turn things that may be positive for our country into a negative.
I bet some of us have not heard of Mayreau – yes it is an island 300 people one of the Grenadines and here I met someone who was there. HELLO tiny island smaller than us.
I do not see why we are straying from the topic and getting off and on about marrying Dominicans for passports. Dominican passport to us is not this important but to others .. this is a different issue. NO MATTER WHICH PASSPORT YOU CHANGE TO, IT SAYS DOMINICAN BY BIRTH – REMEMBER THIS!!.
I wonder if Gays and Lesbians are counted into that new marriage License?
Excellent question. The minute a gay or lesbian decides to come to Dominica to get married and realizes that Dominica is hostile to this lifestyle will be the same minute Dominica gets thrusted into more global controversy which could potentially debase this whole wedding destination idea. So I hope they know how to traverse this issue properly.
Another question: Does Gloria Shillingford have any pending bills or legislature to expedite divorces? As it stands, the divorce system stinks to high heaven costing parties lots of money, time,and emotional aggravation. It’s time to make getting a divorce efficient and fast. Two to four years is too long especially when there is notable physical and emotional abuse in the relationship and counseling did not work. Stop tying up people. Dominica not that religious anymore to make people wait so unnecessarily.
There are lots of more pressing matters which need to be addressed which would make the lives of Dominicans safer, better and easier. Why aren’t these looked at in a speedier manner? We as a people we need to think about our present living conditions and quality of life before we look about that of the blasted tourists. Some of them could use this opportunity for the wrong purpose. We must be careful and not too trusting.
Dominica’s Passport ain’t worth nothing, for which it can be use to travel to, China, Venezuela, Russia, and the rest of the communist countries, as you know some countries have closed their doors on Dominica and Dominica’s so called passport and there is now to come, so please give me a break, when a Dominican married a US national they are better off, they will get US documents, and so on, but marring a Dominican to stay is Dominica is no longer a priority for no one, other than the Haitians and the Criminals
This is all well and good, but how about making it easier to get to Dominica. Dominicans dont even want to come to Dominica because of the hassle, you think foreigners will want to put up with that?
That would be good for Dominica providing that the marriage licenses are only for non Dominican nationals interested in coming to Dominica as a Honeymoon destination.
We ought to be careful, not to make it easier for persons just to come to Dominica to get married to Dominican men and women so that they can obtain Dominican passports.
I think it’s funny that you think of all places… someone would marry Dominican men and women to get DOMINICAN passport. Never knew the Dominican passport was so valuable…. not the US we are in you know. Not like you can get to the US or other places SO much easier cuz of a DA passport…. sometimes more like it hurts your chances.
As of now, I believe it is easier for someone to come to Dominica and marry a Dominican than if both are from somewhere else and come here to marry. But just cuz you can marry a Dominican easily.. doesn’t mean it’s easy to get a passport.. it’s not automatic.
You think the US you are in is better than any other country? And doesn’t it happen in the US, that people get married to US citizens just to get US status?
You said and I quote, ” As of now, I believe it is easier for someone to come to Dominica and marry a Dominican than if both are from somewhere else and come here to marry”. Whether you made a mistake or not with your phrase “As of Now” (which means from now onwards) you are still echoing the concern I had which is that it should not be easier for someone just to get married to nationals for duplicitous reasons than for people who are both from elsewhere.. If you meant up to now, (which means from the past till now) then again that is what needs to be changed. It should not be easier for non-nationals to come here to get married to Dominicans than for two non nationals to come here to get married.
So you are either not making sense, supporting what I said or you are just responding for responding sake.