Looting deals major blow to private sector says DAIC

Several businesses suffered during the passage of Hurricane Maria

Executive Director of the Dominica Association of Industry and Commerce (DAIC) Lizra Fabien has said the private sector in Dominica has suffered a major blow because of looting after Hurricane Maria.

She described the matter as ‘the human hurricane,’ saying it will take some time before businesses rebound.

“The private sector has been affected by the human hurricane which is the amount of looting, the looting that took place,” she said on state-owned DBS Radio.

Fabien pointed out that the level of looting has disappointed the private sector.

“The private sector is quite disappointed with what happened,” she stated. “This creates a ripple effect for our economy, even greater than what we could see with our own eyes, things as lack of essential services, destruction of the food chain, lack of funds for circulation in Dominica.”

She noted that it is important that the private sector sees how it should move forward as soon as possible and improve the business condition in Dominica.

Meanwhile, Vice President of the DAIC, Stephen Lander, has expressed concerns over the ‘ripple effects’ the large amount of layoffs might have on the economy after Hurricane Maria.

“The more people that get laid off, the less buying power you have in the economy and that trickles down to those businesses that can open and serve the public, their businesses may go down because less people are buying,” he said.

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11 Comments

  1. analy thomas
    November 1, 2017

    You may not like these words but what happened in Dominica was mere wickedness. People were not just trying to get food for the coming days but demonstrated what was in their hearts. Why would i break courts for example and take a television when there is no electricity, no cable, and not even a roof over my head? To sell? This is wrong! and many people broke businesses which seemed safe to a certain degree!
    The bible says that the heart of men is desperately wicked! Did this come from God or the Devil? Tell me! “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come, For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away”.
    Glory!

  2. viewsexpressed
    November 1, 2017

    Lizra, I share your pain with that of your DAIC colleagues. It is a sad state of affairs that should have never happened. It was unavoidable. Roseau was this open city for looting. I am seriously asking the question; where was our security police force, where this debacle occur right under their doorstep? It is normal that a military concept in the event such as hurricane is monitored every 15minutes to have all security, medical, and other professionals on stand by for every emergency eventuality. This lazy government & security failed us big time.
    The Capital city of Roseau should have been the number one spot for protection, security and cover by 5am as Marcia exited her fatal blow.
    The UWP had a peaceful meeting in Roseau and the entire police force dressed in fatigue gear were all out to protect Skerrit and a fake news that the UWP and Dominicans were about to invade the financial Centre with a big truck. Well, who is laughing now. The joke is on the Chief of Police and…

  3. Dominican
    November 1, 2017

    So sad! I met a little boy in the neigourhood the day after Maria struck and when I asked him where his daddy was he told me that he had gone looting as if it it was the most natural thing in the world. Can’t help but feeling that most of this wer not random acts but planned an oorinat actions by our criminal fraternity, possibly with the collusion of some rotten apples in our security forces.

  4. Kermit
    October 31, 2017

    My store didn’t burst and they burst it. Swiped me clean. Right now don’t even know where to start. And I caught them red handed.

    • Me
      November 1, 2017

      Did you say they were red handed?

  5. Wrong is wron
    October 31, 2017

    “The private sector has been affected by the human hurricane which is the amount of looting, the looting that took place.”
    Madam the only human hurricane I know of is Hurricane Skerrit, who has been wrecking our country for 13 yrs. He wrecked our economy, our unity, our agriculture and if it is wrecked, Skerrit did it. Unfortunately you all sat there when this very dangerous hurricane was destroying us and said nothing.
    As far as looting is concerned, blame Skerrit, Carbon & Valarie. They are incompetent and Maria exposed their incompetence. Valarie said on Q95 that they were waiting for looters and next thing looter were waiting on them and they didn’t show up . Blame Skerrit because he told the people that it was a short storm and therefore there was no need to stockpile on food & water. When the people got up they saw devastation and they helped themselves as seen in 2 Kings 7:1-8 about the four Lepers. I have heard some good preachers on it if ok then y it so wrong now?

  6. October 31, 2017

    That should be layed on the door step of Mr. Carbon , Mr. Carbon has been promising the public police protection for years and they are just empty words, he knew there was gonna be looting in town after the hurricane why did he not deploy the police in force in the city ?, he did it when skerro was trying to pass the illegal legist ration to keep him in power like Mugabe, why did he not deploy them after the hurricane in Roseau .

  7. Looking
    October 31, 2017

    And the more aid coming in the less people will buy from businesses, its the triple down effect. We need to get back to normalcy ASAP or its not going to be pretty. Advice to the government, pump monies into reconstruction NOW. Get people working get monies circulating.

  8. zandoli
    October 31, 2017

    Well, out security forces were front and centre of the looting. I thought we were better than that, but obviously we have a lot of garbage in Dominica, and I am not referring to the debris brought on by Hurricane Maria, I am talking about human garbage. These thieves used the hurricane as an excuse to steal. That was stealing, plain and simple.

    • viewsexpressed
      November 1, 2017

      Yes Zandoli, where was our security the police force whom we trust to protect the Principle city of Roseau?
      The Police Force has failed us again and I suspect that they are too committed and distracted listening to inept Skerrit who himself is not sufficiently mature to lead, let alone to be strategic.
      Skerrit and the Commissioner of Police must Go

      • Me
        November 1, 2017

        Hmm, they were there, guns and all for the phantom assault by the opposition on the P.M.’s office last Feb. Perhaps that is more important than protecting peoplw’s private property?

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