Felix Gregoire praises government support programme

Gregoire

Former Cabinet Secretary Felix Gregoire has heaped praise on the government’s Public Support Programme, describing it as a life saver for many a poor family.

Gregoire says as Cabinet Secretary he gave the programme his full support, because it is the kind of initiative that would have benefitted his family had it been around years ago.

According to the now retired Gregoire, the programme would have greatly assisted him and his family, if implemented years ago at a time when his mother, as a poor woman from a rural community (Scottshead), was struggling to make ends meet.

During an interview on state-owned radio Tuesday morning, the retired public service worker said he is leaving the position satisfied that thousands of underprivileged Dominicans have obtained help through the Public Support Programme (PSP).

“I’m from a poor community. I was very poor myself and I knew how that support would have helped my mother…I’m very happy for all the persons that the government has helped,” an emotional Gregoire explained as he begged for a little more time on the interview segment of the DBS Morning News to make that point.

He said through the programme, government has assisted citizens in the areas of education, housing, health and small business, “persons who had nowhere to turn and came to the government for that help.”

Gregoire has retired from the public service, after 34 years.

He continued work as Cabinet Secretary, but ended a two year contract with government this month.

Some of his critics have accused him of going beyond his remit as a public officer and giving political support to the Skerrit administration.

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40 Comments

  1. Proud Dominican
    February 2, 2012

    Ihave known Mr Gregoire for a long time, this man have given alot of his time for his country . He worked many years at Forestery , give the man the credits he deserved . we Dominicans need to be honest with ourselves. when we are against someone every thing that person does is wrong . lets put our differences aside and come together as Dominicans to better our country.

  2. Tanti
    February 1, 2012

    When will we stop stoning down our brother men with words. Are Dcans that primitive?

  3. Sexy Balaw
    February 1, 2012

    Well done Mr. Gregoire! Please come again. If your mother had the Red Clinic to depend on, you would not be in the position you are in today. But she tied her waist and you were motivated enough to lift yourself out of poverty. Give other Dominicans to do as well as you have done.

  4. blatant
    February 1, 2012

    I find it suspicious he retiring, Maynard wa older than him and look at the job they give maynard. So maybe a sweet job is lined up for me because he look a bit young to retire.

  5. tetsi
    February 1, 2012

    ma dominik should be happy today when people
    like that vacate office,garcon!

  6. Patience
    January 31, 2012

    Mr. Gregoire, I am sad to hear of the plight that your mother had to go through. You must have made her proud.
    But i must say that it is a shame that much haven’t changed 50 years later that there is very little development in the country that government have to feed the nation instead of the people feeding themselves. And then you turn around and ell us that so much development is taking place. Shame on you Mr. Gregoire, because of party politics you allowed Dominica to lag behind all the other islands in the area.

  7. Peter carbon
    January 31, 2012

    Felix, no other government took 15% sales TAX on goods and services of the Dominican people. The government is only taking away from strugling working people to give to those who will not work.

    • CIA on the watch
      January 31, 2012

      would be interested to know what use is made of that excess revenue from the 15% tax, hospital is still in a deplorable condition, unemployment is still rising, crime is still rising and the list goes on while everythning is upside down

  8. ONE STONE
    January 31, 2012

    Why can’t you black people just for once be happy for another black man as yourselves? Why for every single thing all you have to bring down someone all because they don’t support your party? It seems to me all who supports the labour party government stupid, wicked and all sorts of things. How then do you the UWP folks expect to win the votes of labourites when you think they are so stupid and wicked as you claim?

  9. concerned
    January 31, 2012

    This public support program lacks any form of integrity, it is purely let me help those who voted for me in order to keep them poor so that they can vote for me next time. It lacks any form of transperency. Dominica has some concerning issues which need eminent recourse, population decline kept a secret, it is getting much more difficult to feed our children, hardly anyone can pay a mortgage now, check the # of houses being reposessed, the decline in the birth rate, the ever so increasing migration. This is where we need to aim of our focus, soon we will have an empty country!

  10. January 31, 2012

    fELIX, jESUS DID GOOD AND THEY STILL CRUCIFIED HIM, Well done thou good and faithfull servant. May God Bless you, The Government and the people of Dominica.

  11. tiny
    January 31, 2012

    Possie….where you get that infomation from?..sounds like this guy was being overpaid….somthing that needs to get checked into…salary of government officials….and where is the money from the psp comming from?

  12. CIA on the watch
    January 31, 2012

    One would expect that someone retiring in his capacity as Head of the public service would encourage public office to be more efficient and productive in the execution of their duties and not comment on a contraversal program like this loaded with party political influence.

    • Anonymous
      January 31, 2012

      You can only give what you have.

  13. January 31, 2012

    may god bless u for your dedicated work

  14. Real Patriot
    January 31, 2012

    Felix Gregoire had a long and distinguished career in service to Dominica. His commitment to the development of our nation is second to none and his dedication to helping the underpriviliged in our society is a testament to his never forgetting his roots. I hope he enjoys his retirement, after 34 years of service!

  15. Marcel
    January 31, 2012

    I guess he is looking for a further extension of his Government contract.

    That is one of the pre-requisites for landing yourself a Government contract. Just sing the prises of the Government and the deal is done.

    Just ask the Decorated Broomstick if you think I lie.

  16. youth worker
    January 31, 2012

    I mean ARBITRATOR

  17. youth worker
    January 31, 2012

    Thanks for looking out for the small DIVISIONS located outside GOV’T HEADQUARTERS durning your tennor.SIr I consider you as well trained ABITRATOR. HOPE your skills will be utilized

  18. Jacky chan
    January 31, 2012

    Mr Gregoir what are you talking about – the Freedom Party had a social program where poor people were given a stipend every month ; the UWP also had a social program to assist the unfortunate. All three political parties gave scholarships to student. The fundamental difference is that the support program is conducted such that people remain beggars to the Skerrit administration. For beginners iMr Gregoir may want to talk to us about the garbage Bin fiasco that happened on his watch. After a decade of your administration and you as cabinet officer you aught to be ashamed of yourself telling us about social program. 15- 20 years ago we were a striving people with a sense of independence. Since the Skerrit administration we have been reduced to abject poverty so obviously your social looks like a diamond in the rough.

  19. Met Yo
    January 31, 2012

    Haa boy..the one starting his ground work for his campaign for Soufriere Constituency well early….

  20. ....................
    January 31, 2012

    Good Riddance. It was high time for you to go! Guess you will be on the same support now.

  21. Monkey Business
    January 31, 2012

    Let’s follow the sequence with the news captions on DNO:

    January 10, 2012 news caption: “Public Service not Politicized” says Felix Gregoire. In that article he is quoted as saying “senior public officers have the discipline to separate personal opinion and agendas from professional advice and good work ethics, given the need to account to their superiors…”

    January 27, 2012 news caption: “Felix Gregoire retires as Cabinet Secretary. In that article he is quoted as saying “I am not prepared to say anything now…”

    January 31, 2012 news caption: “Felix Gregoire praises Government Support Program”

    The best is yet to come.

  22. Mum
    January 31, 2012

    I know, many people 30 years ago who had the brians but not the help did not make it. many older people without money could not get the the money to pay the hosipital fee. THANKS TO THIS GOV.

    • Anonymous
      January 31, 2012

      You sound like a lazy young person.. GO AND WORK! LAZY !

  23. MORE TO COME
    January 31, 2012

    Public Support Programme (PSP)????????? First time I’m hearing about it. I searched DNO and the only story that has come up about it so far is this one. Tell me more cause my family never got any of this kind of help from the government and our shack is falling apart all now. Tell me more about this PSP affair.

    • Letmetellyou!
      January 31, 2012

      We in Dominica call it the Red Clinic!!! But the real name is what he addressed it by.

    • Anonymous
      January 31, 2012

      The RED CLINIC. That is the official name for it.

    • Anonymous
      January 31, 2012

      Shack falling apart but they have computer doh!!!!! lol :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

    • January 31, 2012

      What you doing with a computer???

      • --------
        February 1, 2012

        From the library Sir

      • MORE TO COME
        February 1, 2012

        You forget we have internet cafe man…it’s $2.50. Now you will tell me to save it to buy a plywood eh. And by the way Grammar School have computer lab too.

  24. Gee
    January 31, 2012

    That is not the kind of this program should be helping!! Most dominicans are trying to make ends meet!! Mr Gregoire… come on!!

  25. Just saying
    January 31, 2012

    Thanh you Mr. Gregorie for your commitment to your country. May continue to bless and guide you. Remember you are still able to contribute to Dominica’s development.

    • Anonymous
      January 31, 2012

      anyway all you people wicked we! committment to which country – the new island that form the other day?

  26. ME R
    January 31, 2012

    What do you have against the man??

  27. benaravin
    January 31, 2012

    The construction of a national sports stadium in 1999 when Mr green was minister of education was not supported by groegoire because his mothere did not play sports in 1999…Sacweh mayshansteh… it is clear them man there will block any progress there is to be made in the country if their political party is not in power and they will praise any programme do matter how crippling it is to the economy, once their political party is in power. gregoire was the biggest snake in the public service prior to the election of 2000…take this to the bank…. I hope u live long enough to see the day u wont receive pension because all our financial resource was shipped to china…

    • CA
      January 31, 2012

      I guess wishing people bad is what you major in. You know so much yet you talk nonsense about Gregoire blocking stadium, pleeeeeaaaase.

      If Ron Green wanted a stadium he would have had one, he was the Minister, Gregoire could not block him.

  28. Morihei Ueshiba
    January 31, 2012

    Let us hope the government start supporting u now u out of work, instead of giving u a consulting job! :lol:

    • possie
      January 31, 2012

      job to consult who? his gratuity alone is more than what the PM would get for fives years pay and his pension is the salary of two graduates together so what consulting job? who he going to consult? why he couldnt consult the public service while he was there, now he outside is nwo he want to consult, stupes, stupidness!!

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