Minister of Planning and Sustainable Development in Trinidad and Tobago, Dr. Bhoendradatt Tewarie, is of the opinion that ‘creative ways’ can be found to make National Parks a revenue earner.
Addressing the Annual General Meeting of the Dominica Association of Industry and Commerce (DAIC) at the Fort Young Hotel on Wednesday night, he stated that the island boasts of having the Morne Trois Pitons, Cabrits and Morne Diablotin National Parks but it does not mean that they should remain isolated or untouched.
He argued that the basics of economic is land, labour and capital, “and the natural assets constitutes the land and its bounties that God has given to you. This natural assets is something that can be monetized.”
However, he stated, “And by monetized, I do not mean destroyed. I simply mean that there are creative ways in which we can deal with these assets that bring people to you and bring opportunities to you.”
Tewarie noted that Dominica has many beautiful natural assets which can be used to benefit the island.
“It is possible to make something happen with these. The fact that they are National Parks do not mean that they have to be isolated and untouched. It is the human interaction with nature which makes things possible,” he remarked.
The Minister stated things can happen in terms of National Parks but it has to be done with creativity and collaboration, which can either be local with the private sector or it can be international.
“It can be done. This is the age of collaboration,” he said.
In February this year, there was some uproar in Dominica when the majority in Parliament passed a Bill to amend the National Parks and Protected Areas Act.
The Bill is expected to facilitate the construction of a 101 luxury hotel on 15 acres of land in the Cabrits National Park by Range Capital Dominica Ltd.
The contract to construct the hotel was signed in November last year.
The agreement was signed between the government of Dominica, Range Capital Partners LTD and the Kempinski Group.
This Minister made some excellent points. I hope this will be an eye-opener for the D/can powers that be, each one of them and to encourage enacting the Bill for the National Park and Protective Areas Act.
Dominica is in need of funds. This is one way of making good use of the natural resources. They should not all be a free for all.
Take for instance, visits to the Hot Water Lake, other lakes and Titre Gorge? The entrance to these areas should be constructed in such a manner that those who enter these vicinities should pay a fee. Once approved and done It should be advertised.
Construct buildings where visitors will be able to purchase replicas of those areas and other relevant paraphernalia of Dominica. It could be expensive to implement but in the long run they could operate at a profit.
Ontario has Niagara Falls. There is the Toronto Zoo and some other areas, all of which generate revenue. Why not the same for some parks and other areas in Dominica?
These areas could generate business and employment.
age of collaboration ……let us find a interested parties to build an international airport.
It takes someone from outside at that level to tell our unimaginable government that we have natural resources that can be developed to generate revenu/economy for the country. I have echoed the idea that we have undeveloped potential in Dominica on this media before. The government only see hotels as drawing visitors, they don’t see further , here is one idea – we have the second largest boiling lake in the world yet 2rds + of the population have not seen it let alone the number of visitors who would visit. Build a road, better yet, ask the very Chines the pm gets from to build it and charge an entrance fee. I am sure if this potential exised in China or the US to name a few their governments would take advantage of it. Our leaders are still dreaming of the magnitude of their own wealth and don’t think of country.
I fully agree that we should use what we have in a creative way, where we have a competitive advantage to expand our economic interest. When we say that no one listens but when others say the same thing we might listen. It does make economic sense to develop what we have for our own good and others who want to enjoy. Transform and Make the place a beautiful and revenue generating with Afro forestry and gardens all over the country so that visitors can have choices not only the selected sites that are used and overused. We need to wake up and be more creative because we have the capacity to effect changes.
Sorry I wanted to give you thumbs up it hit the wrong one, great point LA Viox, good to see DNO put in that a lot of people was in uproar when they planned to use Cabrits.
Who was in uproar when who they planned to use Cabrits?
Skerritt’s DLP Gov’t, without the input or consent of the owners of our Land, the Dominican people,
carved out 15 acres of our Land from the Cabrits National Park and gave it to a foreign busiiness concern, Range Development. Who gave those few politicians the right to just give away the People’s sacred property, their God-given Land?
Worst yet, Gov’t still give the foreigner our collective property again, our passports, to sell to raise money to build his hotel. Millions of $$$$$$$$$$ will be made from passport sales and those millions going to foreigner?
After all that, hotel not Dominicans own? Whose fools are we? So investor, Range development coming with nothing, empty-handed? Gov’t give Range Dev. our 15 acres from our pristine Cabrits National Park and passports to make money?
Who will benefit from such madness? One passport advertised in Dubai, by Range Dev. cost US$250,000.00…