Deputy Leader of the United Workers Party (UWP) Claudius Sanford has raised concerns over what he said is a steady increase in public assistance allocation and a low capital input into the agriculture and tourism sectors in the 2010/2011 national budget.
At a UWP public meeting in Lagoon last night, Sanford said that he was convinced that tourism and agriculture- the two most productive sectors of the economy- should have received a greater allocation of capital.
“To refer to some statistics in the budget … The 2008/2009 budget saw $4.6 million allocated to public assistance. 2009/2010 budget … saw $5.9 million allocated to public assistance. The 2010/11 budget … saw $6.7 million allocated to public assistance. There this steady incline. Steady rise in the amount that the budget is allocating to public assistance… ” Stanford said.
“Whilst in the same budget of 2010/11, the agricultural sector is getting $10.3 million and the tourism sector is getting $8.6 million. The two productive sectors or our economy. The public assistance allocation was $6.7 million more than half of what the two most productive sectors of our economy is getting,” the party’s deputy leader said.
Sanford said that particulars of the new budget ward persons the right to be worried and “to ask ourselves are we becoming a communist state.”
Sanford also believes that the national budget creates a path for open competition between the government and private sector, which he said will only lead to decreased productivity.
“…The budget presented by Mr Roosevelt Skerrit is clearly creating a path for government’s open competition with the private sector. And ladies and gentlemen any time you have an open competition by the government with the private sector productivity will decrease,” he stated.
“Unemployment …. increased ladies and gentlemen, because the people of your country have no incentive to invest in any project that will gain them some profit. They become very, very scared that the government will come in and compete with them,” Sanford told UWP supporters.
The $440.3 million budget was presented by Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit in parliament last Tuesday. This was followed by a budget debate on Wednesday. The UWP parliamentarians did not attend these parliament sittings.
AA d crab come out from d hole soon it going back an hide lol lol lol
Why do u people who are so low minded make fun of the mature people of Dominica who have a right to go out to public meetings too? these days alot of young people have no direction and you all sit there and criticize the older folks who want to be informed too. Make an example out of the older folks , go out and be informed too intead reading selected crap on the internet and jumping to conclusions.
As for Mr.Sanford he is a well educated young man unlike some people who are like stagnant water.
@john brown: is an increase in public welfare sustianable? you must realize that in order to make public assistance sustainable the productive sectors of the economy must be generating sufficient income. increase employment in these sectors and the need for goods and services would greatly increase the availability of revenue for government through taxes etc which would enable a sustainable public assistance program. if we continue to under invest in these sectors then our public assistance program will eventually crumble leaving the destitute and needy with really no where to turn. incidentally a comprehensive analysis of the public assistance program must be done because if u are saying that poverty is decreasing then why are we spending more on public assistance? its either poverty is in fact increasing or some persons are capable of taking care of their responsibilities but indulging in the “everything free” idea cultivated by this government and are in fact robbing taxpayers of this country.
@DosEquis: are person at uwp meetings not dominicans? to debase and insult your own people shows the shallowness of your heart. then u hear talk about ‘yes we care’ i wonder how u view the elderly? u probably afraid to touch much less help them.
@Salop: salop everybody know you are a skerrit dog because every time someone talk about the bad this man is doing to our country you call them all can of name but your day will come and you will shut your mouth because your love for this man have you blind you putting a man before your country
When is the next ‘seating’ of the “People Parliament?” hahahahahahaha. LMAO
@john brown:
Uhhh you sound like a bumbling idiot. Go get educated and learn to look at things more objectively, you are colour blind.
This is about the two most important sectors in our economy, or so claims the administration of today and those of the past, so they should be given a lot more attention and money than is currently being assigned.
U.W.P need some musical instruments.Everybody singing..A little backup from fake environmentalist and journalist will create a hit record.guess they forgot there is an economic crisis worldwide and D.A is doing fine.The P.M performace is excellent.
This is very interesting. When one looks at it the Ministry of Legal Affairs and Tourism receives 3% of the Budget. Increase crime on the Island and 1.5% going into legal affairs. Decrease in Tourism one of our biggest industries yet still 1.5% goes into it. The Tourism industry made 193 million last year and about 2.5% of that goes back into reinvestment into the industry.
Then one wants to wonder why the industries in Dominica are moving backward and not forward. What can 4.8 million dollars really do to push Dominica forward with regard to Tourism.
It is really a shame to see that the tourism industry will be even worse off than the Agricultural sector the downward spiral will continue if immediate and aggressive action in tourism is not taken.
@ Nigel
This is a solid discussion and analysis of the budget and you discard it as uneccessary. Your statement epitomizes the degree of material depravity withing society. So what should Sanford speak about? I beg you to make a suggestion, maybe you would have prefered to just have a jump up, a statement about who has the most sexy women or who is the badest dog on a campaign trail.
your statement about the particular forum is uneccessary, you are reading the statment on DNO, Are you an elderly folk?
surely uwp is on its last days,lack of leadership is the problem!
Sanford is the biggest waste of time in todays politics when u”re the deputy leader /deputy pm to b. can get a kind of beating on december 18 2009 he needs to ask him self where has he gone wrong and why their magic pledges didnt work you and hector are just there to try to bring young people back to the party the moment you would succdeed in doin that,’your chances are very slim by d way’ once the hyrachy in the uwp smell power neither u nor john will ever remain at the helm these power hungry pennsioners including linton angello and the likes will kick all u out u need to pick another career the carib people whom the united workers party think were foolish skerrit has educate them and they have put u in the bin
UWP should be called the “RETIRED PARTY”. I enjoy the gathering. Look jokes……………….
WWWWWWWWWWWWWWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORRRRRRRRRRRKKKKKKKKKEEEEEEEEERRSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
I thought once we had the bi elections were done the uwp would go in governing mode, excuse me, I still think the most people listen to the state owned radio station. Start governing like men with a vision and lead.
Mr. Sanford is complaining about the steady increase in public assistance over the years compared to agriculture and tourism (a steady increase, not decrease)!! Mr. Sanford agriculture and tourism are important and got more money than public assistance.
Mr. Sanford not everybody in Dominica works in the agriculture and tourism industry. You should be happy that the government has allocated any monies for public assistance to help those that are in the agriculture and tourism sector and most of all the majority of Dominicans who are not. If the government gave little or no public assistance, you would be singing a different song.
These politicians are preying on the ignorance of their supporters who blindly follow them and cling onto their every word like it was the gospel; all to their own detriment. I am sure that there were supporters cheering and applauding when he said those words; supporters that got or are in need themselves of public assistance. Just look at the picture, i don’t see any millionaire standing there, only ordinary people who are being tricked and fooled into voting against their own pockets.
@DosEquis: hahahaha lmao
@nigel: Nigel I so agree with that, what a waste of damn time. lol
wtf. SHOULD U BE ADRESSING THOSE ISSUES IN PARLIAMENT. WHAT EFFECT IS ADRESSING A GROUP OF EDERLY FOLKS GOING TO HAVEON THE NATIONAL BUDGET…
@Anti-hate: your comment explains why were aint going anywhere..anytime soon…..i just hope people like you don’t run away..but stay here..in it..
In all of D/Ca, if you want some real unpleasant sighting, please go to a UWP Meeting
Dammmmmmm!!!!!!!
BOI LOOK PPLE!!! UWP still has that dynamic force.
The UWP sure has some youthful supporters!!