The official ground-breaking ceremony for the construction of the top brand Hilton/Curio Tranquility Beach Resort in Salisbury, will take place today.
Prime Minister Skerrit says work has actually started on what he describes as an important project which will be built with the use of CBI funds.
“This, no doubt will be a major, major investment in Salisbury. The farmers there, the fishermen of Coulibistrie and Salisbury are looking forward to having an opportunity to supply this hotel with fresh fish and fresh agricultural produce,” Skerrit stated. “Of course, it will no doubt create direct employment opportunities first in the construction phase but very importantly, sustainable jobs when the hotel becomes operational.”
The prime minister had words of commendation for Dominican, Ian Edwards, who is one of the developers of the project.
“Ian Edwards is Dominican, originated from Bath Estate who currently has major investments in Anguilla. He comes with a very sound reputation in the hotel, real estate and hospitality industry. The quality of his designs, the quality of his work, is certainly of a high international standard.”
The function will take place at 4:oo pm today.
Infrastructure (international airport, wide roads, sea ports) should be the TOP PRIORITY. A waste of money on luxury hotels that no one can get to. MADNESS !
What is going on with the Castaways Hotel in Mero and the Layou River Hotel in Layou. Are they not being rebuilt and modernized? What is the status on these two old hotels? Who owns these two properties?
The Castaways hotel was real nice back in the 1960s when it was constructed and owned by Bill Harris from Canada. I believe that his daughter went on to inherit it and she may have sold the property. A lot of people would go there on weekends for R&R and swimming on the nice beach. The hotel was constructed around the same time as FT Young. At one time there was talk of building a marina close to the hotel.
I must say a big thank you to Ian Edwards, a man of the soil who has the vision to take Dominica forward. It is very pleasing when young men can go away to develop themselves and return with hand so filled that people can actually survive off the over flow. As for you PM Skerrit, I do believe its time for you to go, you need to go down to the ghetto, to go to the farms and
the beaches. You need to go to Salisbury and Marigot. you need to go North end and see what can be done down there as the airport is soon at hand. you need to come to my new office in Jimmit to see how you can help me expand.
Then you need to go everywhere you can find men like Ian Edwards. just go. on and on and on and on and on ………………………………………. Till the most high tell you to relax.
We have to hold Skerrit accountable for the CBI program. It’s only him and his cabal that benefit while the country and its citizens keep suffering.
CBI funds going along way. Airport next look roro
To the many people who do not know the area in which the dream hotel is to be built there is a beach in that area. As a young girl it was called ti-Tas. My grand father would come in with his fishing boat for his lunch and we would take his fish home. The Andrew bought most of the area after relocating from England. There is a nice area for a hotel. But may I ask how are the guest coming to Dominica. Tourism needs easy in and out of a country. Dominicans have been begging for easier access to our country.
At this point, Carrier Pigeons.
This is one way: https://discoverdominica.com/jfk
A strong opposition, forces a Gov’t to come clean on issues of National interest, this may not be the case in Dominica presently. You see, Brand Hilton will not do business in Dominica, if the land is not totally owned by them , some of the benefits advocated , Local produce will have to be of international quality , or else, food is going to be imported. Without an International Airport, proper infrastructure , all this HA HA may just be power posturing . The absence of a strong opposition in Dominica , Defacto politics is possible, but will never be the right way to go. but anything is possible in a one party state. The people on the Island should demand the truth. Water , electric, in most cases will be free, the low level paying jobs left, will go to the supporters of both the DLP or UWP. The Hilton Brand is the goal, but all the dirty work will be for Dominica to do. Might as well keep the CBI money, for when the next hurricane comes through.
Hotels are fine but any country that invest heavily in tourist should have the requisite infrastructural developments in place as it is a very competitive industry. To attract tourists on a large scale there must be an international airport, adequate recreational facilities, quality places of entertainment and more.
The DLP thinks that concrete and steel win elections although they have done a shabby job nation wide with the infrastructure. Although these things are important, it’s the quality of life of each citizen that should be of the greatest concern.
Here are the critical questions one should ask when assessing the current regime’s performance.
* Are you better off today than five years ago?
* Are your wages or salaries sufficient to cover your weekly or monthly bills with a little left over for saving in times of bad weather?
* Are the government’s policies designed to work for everybody?
It has been 18 years of HARD LABOUR and MISERY. Time to give hope a chance.
You people do know that the other small island built hotels before an international airport right.. You have to create accommodation if you want people to come.. look at St. Lucia, they built many hotels and only now they are expanding the airport after marketing and making a big name for the island.. the airport isn’t going to bring people but rather the amenities and accommodation.. when the numbers start increasing, the number of flights to the island will increase.
what and for whom are we building all these hotels? Locals can hardly afford to spend one special night in the existing hotels, tourists are not coming in. So please tell me why are we building monuments all over the west coast.
Maybe you can start a travel agency to bring visitors to Dominica. Think about your very own business. What about a promotion business to advertise . All these hotels can pay you to advertise their hotels, plus stake holders and government can pay you to promote. You can even have trade shows to make presentations. You can actually make tourists come in from all over the world..
Great point, however how will tourist travel efficiently in and out of Dominica in the interim?
Lovely idea, however the planes have to land somewhere safely. Where is that? We can’t fly in a 707 of medium sized jet into Melville Hall which is the 800 pound gorilla in the room.
and secret bay toujor booked and Dominicans cannot afford …. really? Secret bay wasn’t meant to accommodate d.cans look at the price for one night, but they still ending up there. Wheel and come again with that, don’t even talk about pagua bay Atlantic resorts that every other week ppl taking photos of their weekend there. Who are y’all friends ? Anyway, It’s all about marketing my friend. And you would be surprised the kind of money D.cans makes as private citizens.
Lovely hotel. But stone beaches are the worse. Luckily every now and then especially after heavy waves alot of sand is deposited on the beach in that area
A hotel or hotel complex does not have to be on a sanddy beach. Think of Las Vegas. Think of Houston ,Tx.
Are the hotels Skerrit taking our passport money to build are temporary homes of the influx of Chinese and CBI criminals he planning on bringing over? This thing does not seem real and we would be joking to think it’s real. St. Vincent, St Lucia and Grenada, all have International airport but not one of them building as many hotels as Dominica and that has me thinking hard. It has me thinking of an Asian country I believe it was, Skerrit went to and told them Dominica was no longer offers agricultural service but rather tourism service. It also reminds me of when a foreign journalist asked Skerrit about where he going to put all these foreign nationals that buying our passports and Skerrit responded by saying Dominicans are friendly and that will not be a problem. I can’t remember everything but words to that extent. Fellow Dominicans, Skerrit is on a mission. He is not working for your interest but in the interest of his masters. All these hotels and apartments he building is for us
If you would educate yourself and stop thinking with your small political brain you would learn that Dominica is far behind St. Vincent, Grenada and St. Lucia in the number of hotels. Given the fact that Dominica lost hotels as a result of Maria, some of them might never be replaced, government must continue to work to increase the hotel stock on the island. But again it must be politics
Frankly Franky you guys do not know anything. A hotel employs people. Those people can sustain themselves. They can pay their bills etc. This is what moves the economy. Employed persons. Whilst we need fire stations, Police stations etc, those institutions do not turnover that is make money or employ persons. You called persons by name but actually you cannot understand economics. To have a vibrant economy, persons are to working . That you call Capital projects does not have a return . Example you build Police Stations, Fire station and you still have to maintain those institutions. They do not make back money to maintain themselves but with a Hotel – the hotel employs people; buy goods and makes a return when guest etc come in. So maids, receptionists, accountants, chefs, clerks will be employed.
So pardner sit down and think. Do not listen to the negatives you hear out there. Be practical. analyse. How do you make the money to pay the recurring expenditure?
I think we understand economics quite well. All the dreams in the world cannot and will not replace the reality of major projects in Dominica and the fact that they are always never completed as proposed. I do not have adequate space to list all the proposed hotels and the ones that started that cannot finish. Do you remember the Layou River Hotel. What happened to that one? How about the Moroccan?
But what is that ner… hotel hotel hotel all over the place … where the airport.? What pwoolen coming Dominica in them hotel ther and do? What here have? Why Mr not taking the CBI money and build better instituions… build a moden police station..fire station.. …better roads..fix the bloody place …. u in a hotel bortom … man u people are some dam wicked souls.. and these idiots in that country still following you people… what a set of bloody foools..
He needs to take the millions in the CBI fund and send every Dominican a $10,000 check, it is the peoples money. An audit needs to be conducted to see how much money is in the fund and who is the treasurer in control of the money to make sure that it has not been deposited in any overseas nefarious bank accounts, the money should be in the Dominican treasury not in the control of one man. Show the books.
True.
Why should money that belongs to the people of Dominica go to private developers?
If they cannot afford to construct a hotel then they shouldn’t!
Also, did the Government GIVE them the undeveloped land? If not, how much did they pay for it?
Love your name 😂👍🏾
So you want to collect $10,000.00 without working. I always say that even if they would take the wealth of the nation and divided equally to the people. After some time, some of you would burn all; some would have more than the amount that was given. Some would still be without and still complaining like you; Some others would still hate on those who invested their own and got more. High time you guys stop complaining and for your information, Government’s money cannot be used how you all saying. There is the audit department and the Treasury department. Documents have to be provided and signed before funds are released. I pity you folks that listen to the foolishness spoken by others. There are audit trails and supporting documents for claims and payments to be made. Many of you need to go back to school to understand the way business is being done (Receipts and payments.
??????????
are you talking about how it is supposed to be done ?
or are you saying how it is actually done.
Have you , or any other person , seen , witnessed , handled any document ,
indicating the actual , real total of the funds received on behalf of the Dominican People, from all the outside sources , by the finance Minister . If you ever find such a document confirming a true figure , i will eat my words, and nothing else , for a whole week .
They not coming back. They were traded for plywood and zinc
The elections must be coming up soon. Another bamboozlement operation going on and the usual suckers are lining up they will complain about getting the SHAFT after the election.
Skerrit we want our land for village expansion we dont need hotel we need our village and farm roads fix .U must go the sooner the better .
Skerrit Skerrit more BS about hotel in salisbury that peice of rock is not for sale we in that part of DA will never forget your teer gas your live bullet the 42 farmers u have in court your goons u have parolling in the area we a waiting for u come election day , we will never never forget may and june of 2016 because of our farm roads. ( skerrit u and your goons must go)
This time Skerrit might use hotels as his campaigning platform…Mr Skerrit this CBI passport selling thing, only makes a few people filthy rich,while the majority does not benefit anything from something that is theirs….This is unfair and this is wickedness ..
Skerrit Must Go
Skerrit Must Go
LAZY Skerrit Must Go Now
Blah blah blah, % you and your acolytes can choke on that. 🔬 Labor Ka Tw……… You for real 😳 the name Hilton.?, hallelujah and splendid. Views Expressed and % mem bett mem pwell, my sincere condolences.
% Is this all you can say??? You are a stuck record and have nothing of value to say.
Chinese like to make children so when they flood the place there will be enough room skerrit and his carbal must go we need a change
Dominicans too. Some of the hotels should be used to housed the J/can-Dominican babies of Post Maria.
The babies are of Christening age now. Lot’s of Grace baby products have been arriving duty free in an agreement between Skerrit & the J/can force.
Grace has numerous baby products. by the year 2020 ,they will be able to up grade to ackee & salt fish, Bammie & festival, oxtail escovitch fish & shrimps. They have a grace baby food. I don’t think Grace makes pampers
Hillton Hotel – shouldn’t that be built with Hilton funds? Why CBI funds?
Not near a beach. Probably will never be completed. Or properly staffed.
What a foolish statement
Obviously you have never travel
I am living in England and all most of the hotels
Are in land
No beaches
You live in England and talk BS like that?? Are you expecting a free ticket from Skerrit to go home in the next 6 weeks to boost the numbers? Come on man, you must do!
P.S.: No doubt you voted for Brexit as well?
Hotels Hotels Hotels Hotels….But Where Is The International Airports…How Will These Guests Get To Dominica?????? Please Don’t Say Liat!!! Caribbean People And The Rest Of The World Are Tired Tired Tired With LIAT. Skerrit Stop Playing Games With People. Use These CBI Funds To Build An International Airport.
More empty promises,where is the MOROCCO HOTEL,ELECTION COMING KEEP ON FOOLING THE PEOPLE.
We want all the Hotels as much as we want the CBI to be extended to other sectors like Agriculture and Manufacturing..Water production should be key to Dominica’s development, packaging of our natural whole foods and canning of our juices..hotel is fine, but spread the money too..
I think the CBI administration has to begin an annual program to receive presentation of competitive projects from local aspiring Dominicans. The winning project will be selected by an experienced board but also there will be a system of public voting at a national level which will be an indicator of public support.
I’m sure this model will be copied by the other OECS CBI countries..but Dominica could lead the way in developing a plausible system for accountable administration of the CBI funds at least whil it lasts.
Its a question of the chicken and the egg. Which should come first . The hotel(S) or the airport. We need both for our tourist development. But high scale hotels in Roseau (Fort Young), Portsmouth, Soufriere and Salisbury is the start so the airport is a must. Dominicans all over are waiting for this over due airport. We can invest in 747 , travel agencies, agriculture fisheries, food and fresh fruit juices. We should be educating our selves in hotel management, bar tending, cooking, wait, and house keeping. All manner of employment expectations can be fulfilled.
There must be a policy programme for import substitution of all the inputs for the travel and tourists industry. We cannot be like some countries where the financial benefits of the hotel industry is expatriated instead of being circulated for the enjoyment of Dominicans The private sector should be the leaders of this. Imagine the impact on the economic and employment. WOW. Come on people let get on board .
What we want first and foremost are audited accounts of the CBI program, PetroCaribe and a certified copy of the MOU and subsequent agreements with China. If he can’t or if he is unwilling to present them he needs to resign! We and I mean ALL the citizens of DA need to wake up and smell the coffee and rescue our homeland. It’s our duty!!!