A new agency will be replacing the government’s Public Support Program, popularly known as the “Red Clinic.”
Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit said on Wednesday that the cabinet has taken a decision to create an “autonomous, rapid response, social recovery agency.”
“That agency will replace the Public Support Program or what is popularly known as the Red Clinic,” he stated. “But it will continue to have in large measure the mandates of the Public Support Program.”
Skerrit explained the rationale behind the creation of the new agency.
“In the aftermath of a massive storm like this (Hurricane Maria), you will have social dislocation in the country, irrespective of how small or large the country is but particularly in small countries,” he said. “And therefore our response as a government and as a people, as a country to the urgent needs of our citizens must be rapid. It cannot get bogged down in bureaucracy. People cannot come to us today and we tell them to come next week and when they come next week, it is not available and they tell us next week and something the person needed today the 17th of February, he received it on the first of March. It is of no consequence to the person because the person needed it on the 17th.”
He stated that sometimes these situations are life or death ones.
“Somebody’s roof that is leaking cannot wait forever because the water is falling directly on the person’s bed…” he remarked.
Skerrit said the new agency will ‘demystify’ the Public Support Program, will be autonomous and will be “a creature of the parliament.”
“So it is not only an executive decision, it will become a creature of the parliament, it will have its board, it will have its management structure, it will receive its funds from the parliament, voted by the parliament, it will be audited by the Director of Audit, it will be answerable to the parliament,” he explained. “So it will follow all the financial protocols like any other statutory entity in the country.”
The Prime Minister said that he had mandated that the agency comes into effect on March 15.
“Which means that we have to go to parliament before then to cause it to happen,” he stated.
Every thing is for a while***/****
IBO FRANCE , I love your writings, so eloquent , I was surprise that she did not know what a pink slip was , you explanation was wonderful , I saw a news piece from one of the local channel where a reporter was asking people on the street what was, or if they know what is climate resilient, it’s meaning , and 89 % of the people interviewed on the streets of Roseau did not have a clue, even the kids in school uniform failed the test, and yet the power that is [skerrow] going around using the word loosely, without a public campaign to educate the masses, the houses that was built after T.S. Erica was build by the Government 4 the people was build with plywood and galvinez , Maria came and blew it away and the same pattern is being repeated, when are gonna learn? .
That red clinic was a shadowy low down way to buy favour with supporters of the labour party,so replacing it with a statuary body is a move in the right direction providing that the public will gave access to the information coming out of that body.I hope it will not be staffed with only labour party operatives but will seek to include Dominicans of all stripes and political persuasions who can make a good contribution towards meaningfully assisting all Dominicans who are in need of assistance by the government with tax payers money and resources.I hope the audit which is being spoken of will be made public in a timely manner,like that of entities like “Dexia” etc.I also hope that the assistance is not only for hand to mouth issues but to help where it will help to get some persons out of poverty as well.Also this must have an end date in the future and should not be expected to continue in perpetuity.
Does this imply that the old “red clinic” was answerable to no one? Was never audited? How much then has gone to the pockets of individuals, if that’s the case?. The things that go on in this country that are considered modus operandi. SMH
You heard from the horses mouth.
Funny thing is the opposition has been pointing this out for years! Suddenly, the aid money and scrutiny and international attention is capable of making us see the reason that the opposition has been pointing out for ages. Maybe Hurricane Maria will actually cause us to modernize rather than further regress!
How about investing into manufacturing so that there are some jobs. People can be proud of themselves instead of having to beg for handouts… .? The obvious answer to most governments who aren’t looking for the popukation to rely on them to continue securing votes every year.. Will these people ever do what’s best for the country’s longer term economy ? Or is it all about scamming, trickery and creaming all they can from the island and its people…?
Lets hope it wont be housed at the Financial Center. It is appalling to see all those people lined up like a mob waiting to see the PM or whoever they are directed to. Some bring their children and it is like a day care/clinic. I suppose hence the name “Red Clinic”. Foreign investors and business people and delegates and diplomats as well as government workers have to wade through a sea of these people in order to carry out official business.
In most countries around the world Welfare is a function of the Department for Social Security. Why can’t we do this properly in Dominica? Why can’t this new agency exist under or within the Department for Social Security. For instance the Department for Works and Pensions in the UK, has a number of Agencies within it, each individually dealing with: Pensions, Employment, Disability, Welfare, Health and Work, Skills and Work, etcetera, why can’t we in Dominica organise ourselves properly and do things efficiently and effectively? There are models all around the world to emulate, we do not have to keep trying to reinvent the wheel. This is not Rocket Science, but maybe in Dominica it is?
Bc Skerro wants it so to get another few terms until baby Skerro turns 21.
Thats something I always shake my head about. The welfare department should be involved in ensuring that the ‘down and out’ should be taken care of. Some people have disabilities. why cant they rceive a monthly payout so they can cope with their day to day care? Its time to catch up with the rest of the world.
The government’s responsibility is to CREATE EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES for it’s people, not to create “hand-out’ situations like north korea; not to encourage begging.
I won’t be surprised if in the near future, Skeriit’s ministers surround him every where he goes and clapping at everything he says like the north koreans do Kim.
Have you guys notice that most of Skerrit’s energy is going toward efforts to make people dependent on the government?
If you have your own resources, you don’t need to go to a government agency looking for a handout. Instead of this steady doses of handouts, give the people the tools to look after themselves so that if their roofs are leaking, they can go yo the bank, withdraw some of their savings and fix their roof. That is what the government should be promoting.
Just about everyday we see this government announcing another give-away.
I left Dominica many years ago and people were much more self-reliant then. Now people sit back waiting for handouts. That can never be good for the people and the country.
This man has no imagination.
So Mr.Skerrit has MANDATED this agency’s..? Another prime example of the Dictator.The leaking roof could be fixed,the example he quotes.Repeat,a task force of five workers,carpenter,mason,electrician,,handyman,labourer.Allocated to each village area.Materials to be supplied,we are told that the port is overrun with containers of building material.Four months later he states orders for galvanise have been made..,because local companies are unable to supply?He takes Four months to realise this simple supply problem.?The Prime Minister is in complete denial that he and his ministers are incapable of doing the job required.Go man, and give the country the chance of survival.
creature of the parliament? creature of the parliament!
https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/creature
Definition of creature – an animal, as distinct from a human being, a person or organization considered to be under the complete control of another, anythi…
Help and support is welcomed but i don’t know about the creature and where it comes from…..
Some may say that this is a figure of speech but i rather creation, introduction, idea, gesture, ……………..
NB I am for helping all the way but words have power!
Just asking so what would be the function of the Welfare Department? Will they be dissolved?
They might as well eliminate the Ministry of Social Services and Welfare and just add that ministry with the PM Ministry of Finance. I find these programs that the PM are creating while important for the country fall under the wrong management. Then the PM will come and talk about mismanagement of the program. Have this fall under Welfare division, people will be properly assessed based on their needs, financial status etc. It will be properly maintained in a database so we have some form of accountability. This business a person rook leaking can just come to the PM and ask to fix his roof makes no sense. That person could have a very healthy bank account and should not qualify whereas someone else who truly does not have the means to fix their roof will be eligible to get that assistance. Come on PM, do something that is right, this seems that is will only benefit your supporters rather than those who truly needs the assistance. Key word (WELFARE /SOCIAL SERVICES MINISTRY)
Prime Minister
Please, could you get us some galvanise to cover our roofs as there is no Galvanise for sale in Dominica.
Really?… There’s Galvanize in Martinique.
So should everyone travel to Martinique to buy Galvanize? How is this going to help Dominica’s decimated economy?
Why oh why do we have so many unhelpful people in Dominica?
Flora, they are DLP supporters, what do you expect. Anyway, the truth of the matter is that the government received a large aid shipment of galvanise. No prices for guessing where all this galvanize ended up. By the way the same happened to aid shipments of generators and tarps. It’s a very sad state of affairs.
Mr. Skerrit has had an epiphany. I’m being sarcastic of course. In his explanation to justify this new agency, he tried to dance around the truth that his exclusionary policies, especially that of the Red Clinic , were causing more harm than good to the vast majority of the citizenry. The Red Clinic only served in fragmenting the country. Mr. Skerrit has an obsession with autocracy. He must micro-manage everything in Dominica. This is precisely what is leading the country to ruins. What is more appalling and atrocious, is the deafening silence of his spineless Ministers of straw. They give him an enabling environment to lead the country into the abyss. Mr. Skerrit and his acolytes don’t have the intellectual capacity to think strategically for the betterment of the country. This man should be given his pink slip.
Ibo
What is the pink slip?
Flora Proctor
A notice of dismissal from employment (pink slip).
Anytime a political party overstays its time in power, the party becomes bankrupt of ideas. Their main concern then becomes retaining power to feather their own nests. They engage in divide and rule strategy by giving handouts to their most aggressive and vociferous supporters . These misguided supporters become sheep-like and defend these misfits even when they are blatantly wrong. These supporters become so blinded by partisan politics that they would lend support to the government’s ill-advised policies at great detriment to themselves.
Termination of employment papers (Pink Slip).
Personally I would give him a double pink slip. This man has ruined a once proud country for his own selfish gains. But I hasten to say there will ALWAYS be place at Stockfarm for all dictators when they eventually fall. Just ask PJ..
Assertive like Ma Maria!
Are you serious ?
The government want to run polygraph test on all potential police recruited. Why are we not asking for the same for government officials. Every three months they should be running polygraph test on those ministers. I love my homeland but unless these guys get out of office Dominica going nowhere. There is a law od diminishing returns and as i have said before they are way past thier shelf life. After independence from Britain we have just been dancing quadrill.
Shaka Zulu lol LMAO & real loud. I have interpreted things from a laughable point of view.
U mentioned The Law of diminishing returns to scale. Vans Leblanc taught me Economics.
When he called on me to give my comprehension of the law, I said the following:If ej you take Geneva Estate X sq feet of land put 100 guys to work(Men & Women) your production would be Y. Add 20 more guys it goes to Z add 40 more you get W add 40more one gets V. In total. The estate manager doubled the# of workers & boom production is doubled. He said go on AG then I said add 100 more and all road lead to South City. Karifuna Man from Wesley, Delices ,LaPlaine etc heading for Geneva Estate ey nee travail la. By the time every village gets the news. Workers will be cutting off each others toes. No space for man to work.He said : AG you do not ever in the next yr plus of ur two stint here have to answer any question. He is from VC so is somebody lol who does not know when to stop adding to the clinic list.
Shaka Zulu it’snot a co-incidence ( as you said since Independence we have been dancing quadrill
This dance are popular in VC & Grandbay. U are from the south so am I likewise Medard and Vans the latter happen to be from VC lol ! funny how things fall in place sometimes.
Shaka Zulu I would love 2 c a response from Skeritt’s production consultant. The unproductive silver headed ,red man from Goodwill. I not calling name. Ah fraid Karl.
My bro just telling me en creole, there are a few silver headed red men in good will. lol I told him if he don’t recall something we learn in school call civics and general knowledge. I told him en creole:
The latter is self explanatory- production consultant. The other one I or anyone else might be thinking of is only qualified for Blackmoore’s search & he would fail the polygraph repeatedly
I hope its a program for all Dominicans and not just labour party supporters.
Excellent job, Roosevelt, if you really mean what you say.