Problems plague renovation of parliament building after Maria

The House of Assembly in Roseau

Clerk of the House of Assembly Daniel James has said that despite an insurance settlement, the unavailability of materials, lack of workmen and the weather have hindered the renovations at the parliament building in Roseau.

During the passage of Hurricane Maria, the building suffered significant damage.

“Following that assessment of the building and its offices which was done by the Ministry of Public Works, a claim was then made and submitted to the insurance company, as a result on December 12, 2017, the insurance company finally agreed to and approved a settlement,” he said.

He said that ongoing works commenced on the House of Assembly on December 02, 2017, however, sourcing material for repairing the roof has posed a problem.

He said that in the first instance the eastern wing of the building, which houses the parliamentary offices of the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition and also the kitchenette and eating area, was re-roofed by the Trinidad and Tobago Defense Force.

“Since then we have been faced with more and more challenges,” he stated. “Some of the challenges are as follows: unavailability of materials in the quantity and length needed, unavailability of workmen and weather.”

He said that despite the challenges, work has been done to replace damaged windows and glass doors and repairs were done to the entrance gate.

However, there is more work to be done.

“Replacing of light fixtures, removal, and replacement of missing or damaged shutters, external door to northern media room has to be removed and replaced,” James stated.

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27 Comments

  1. anonymous2
    March 8, 2018

    If even the govt. cannot get decent contractors on its projects, good luck to the rest of the population. A trade school needs to be established.

  2. Tony
    March 8, 2018

    Hello and good afternoon my people. Well if the Government don’t have materials to fix their own Parliament then how can I come home to fix my parents roof. I was told that there is material in Dominica but this statement contradicts what I was told therefore I will have to look for materials in Miami before I even purchase a ticket to come home. Thanks DNO for this article otherwise I would waste my time coming home only to find there isn’t any materials to complete the job.

  3. SN
    March 7, 2018

    This logistical nightmare the government is facing is the same logistical nightmare homeowners are facing. This should convey to the government that 6 months duty free concession on building materials are just not enough to enable to rebuild the resilient homes we would like to see, given the magnitude of the hurricane devastation throughout the northern Caribbean and the resulting competition for building resources. The additional building costs driven by the resiliency project will be minimized by an extension of the concessions to a reasonable period of no less than 2 years.

    • Mags
      March 10, 2018

      Well said SN, the time given by the PM for duty free is not long enough, as he is having trouble sourcing material himself, so it is going to be harder for you and l and general public. A longer time frame is needed for general public. I lost everything, l was fortunate enough to replace my roof before returning to UK, but it will take some time to rebuild and replace furniture damaged during the passage of hurricane Maria.

  4. Dominican
    March 7, 2018

    PS. I would have thought that the repairs to the home of our democracy are far more urgent than fixing up our cricket stadium at this time.

  5. Ibo France
    March 7, 2018

    The reasons put forward by the Clerk of the House of Assembly for the present horrible state of affairs with the parliament building are just mind boggling. This reveals an appalling level of gross mismanagement and ineptitude. How can anyone have confidence in a government that can’t even repair one of its most important edifices in a timely manner? The excuses given are just facetious. Do you know what Maria has done? It has exposed the incompetence, inadequacies, absurdities of the Skerrit’s regime for the whole world to see.

    • RandyX
      March 7, 2018

      Man your are spot on as usual.

    • prophet for a profit
      March 8, 2018

      6 months after the storm.

  6. CIA agent
    March 7, 2018

    A politician’s best asset is his ‘lie’ability.

    The “unavailability of materials and workmen” is a terminological inexactitude.

    In the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, one would expect reallocation of resources.
    Requesting international aid while we are building an expensive resort and Spa is like begging for a piece of bread while driving an expensive car and smoking a cigar.

    https://www.anichidevelopment.com/cbi-funded-anichi-resort-spa-officially-breaks-ground-dominica/

    • Gary
      March 8, 2018

      When you say “A politician’s best asset is his ‘lie’ability.” Does that exclude Linton. Before you make statements like “we are building an expensive resort and Spa is like begging for a piece of bread while driving an expensive car and smoking a cigar” Who is the “we” you are talking about. What is wrong with a private company making an investment to help boost the Tourism sector in Dominica, is it the Government who is financing such project, Why are you distorting facts to suit your political agenda.

      • RandyX
        March 8, 2018

        It’s financed by our money! It’s financed by proceeds from selling our passports. But it won’t belong to us. Nobody knows who it belongs to. Presumably Skerrit, Lawrence and the likes are the major shareholders. For all we know maybe you’re in it too! Since your master is refusing to tell us who the shareholders are, maybe you can. Tell us, clever one.

      • Gary
        March 8, 2018

        To RandyX

        Wow, What do you mean it is financed by our money collected from the sale of passports.If this is your understanding of how the CBI program works pity your ignorance and understanding. If you do not know or understand something why criticize it and make a fool of your self by making such statements. As to who the owners are didn’t
        you see them in the link CIA directed us to, What more do you need to know who the owners are, wow, it’s unbelievable that you would take your time to write such nonsense wilfully displaying your ignorance.

  7. Ferrar_FenTon_Bible
    March 7, 2018

    Don’t extend any duty-free for anybody, the country need the money, people just want a free ride on our pm.

    • prophet for a profit
      March 8, 2018

      But giving away millions and millions to “small business”, many who were not even in the system or paying any tax, without any follow up or accountability is a not a free ride? the country has been on a ride for years. But the wheels will fall out one by one. IT will only get worse before it gets better. Mother nature, not lennox not vital, not pappy will showcase our mistakes. You cannot bring her to court, you cannot lock her up, you cannot sue her. she is more powerful than all of us who sing praises to mediocrity. She is withou recompense and it is because of that, the mistakes will be shown. months before Maria we wasted millions on handouts like it was hot bread. “everybody” clamored to get a thousand here, a ten thousand there, but still the economy was hurting. I say the money had to be washed so they start to give out because they were under pressure. But if that money was saved, we would have enough to do anything and not need so much foreign aid to support ourselves.

  8. March 7, 2018

    Please extend the free duty for building materials. Make it easier for people to come back.they will be able to help build back better. But the cost at the port………..it is not encouraging. It discourages Dominicans from contributing as much as they can

  9. I Must admit
    March 7, 2018

    I must admit that this one is another show but is not a reality show. It a show of hopelessness and laziness of our government that is bent on blaming Maria all the way down to next election later this year, providing hurricane Melissa doesn’t finish with us, when the new hurricane season begins. I must admit that while this lazy government does nothing, except sell passports in secret and blame Maria, The Los Angeles Times gives a different perspective of another Caribbean island that was destroyed both by Irma and Maria . http://www.latimes.com/world/la-fg-st-martin-hurricane-sliders-2018-htmlstory.html

  10. jihan
    March 7, 2018

    All comes back to the the incompetent labour party,instead of just giving out handouts,young men should be trained in those skills,sad that lack of workmen and unskilled workers causes these issues now,and will continue.

  11. It's my damn business
    March 7, 2018

    Ms. Daniel in my opinion has just given us another reason why we should demand the resignation of Roosevelt Skerrit and his entire cabal, if Dominica is going to recover after Maria. If a government is so incompetent to take care of their own, six months after Maria, how on Earth are they going to help Dominica for the 2018 hurricane season which is less than 2 months away? The government cannot source materials and lack of workmen? To me that’s an indictment against the government. Where are our workers? Did Maria kill all of them? Are we no longer able to import Materials? OMG how are allowing the government to insult us like that? I just believe this is a chest game by Skerrit since for some unknown reason he has not been able to call parliament together to plot a way forward post Maria, so with this lousy excuse they will fool the blinds in believing that is because the parliament got damaged they can’t have parliament. It’s a lazy, fake, corrupt government that can’t do…

    • google
      March 7, 2018

      have you seen the airport in Puerto Rico

      • Toto
        March 7, 2018

        We live in Dominica, not Puerto Rico. They will take care of their own problems.

      • It's my damn business
        March 7, 2018

        @google I have landed at the SJU airport several times since Maria and my last trip was less than a month ago. I have also landed in St. Martin several times since Irma. So what’s your point?

  12. Shameless
    March 7, 2018

    My god in heaven, if a government canton source materials, manpower and equipment to repair “a building” that is so important then we are doomed in this land. With all the so called diplomatic relations we have globally you are telling me the GOVERNMENT is unable to repair our parliament building? What material are you talking about sir? Gold, platinum, graphite? Please tell me so I can get them on island asap.

    This is madness beyond comprehension or gross, gross incompetence :twisted: . Man get off you all’ duff and start being productive. A WHOLE government cannot operate in a small island because of building material and manpower? A joke that man? Is the USA, UK, France, Guada, Marie Gallante closed for business? :twisted: :twisted: . Allu make Hon. Bad-willed look like a consummate professional. DLP and Skerrit MUST go..period!

    Assertive like Ma Maria! :twisted: :twisted:

    • Shameless
      March 7, 2018

      Mean “cannot source”

  13. marie-claire R Skerrit
    March 7, 2018

    Really thats an excuse they putting out smh. Dominica leaders are backwards

  14. Dominican
    March 7, 2018

    I hope this is not an excuse for not convening parliament. Enough space is available to conduct the people’s business temporarily at the State House.

  15. RandyX
    March 7, 2018

    Thank you for your update Mr. James. I guess now you expect us to swallow all that nonsense. In reality the present situation serves Skerrit very well because he has an excuse not to call parliament. As far as your statement regarding shortage of material and labour and bad weather is concerned I refrain from commenting on that. Your statement says it all. Poor Dominica how deeply have you fallen under this regime.

  16. Vernon
    March 7, 2018

    James,
    That may be true but you are telling me that you (since you came out to the public) could not spare eastern wing of the building made up of the Prime Minister and/or the Leader of the Opposition offices) for the OECS Court of Appeal Judges to sit for a few weeks in Dominica?

    From your admission, you admitted that these section has been repaired.

    Please advise why this section could not be used?

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