Pointing to what it refers to as modest and affordable recommendations which can alleviate some of the plight of locals, the Concerned Citizens Movement (CCM) has put forward a proposal document to the cabinet of Dominica in the form of an open letter, highlighting some measures it believes will remedy the economic “pain” that citizens have endured particularly over the last five years and due to the covid-19 pandemic.
Among its requests, is a proposed reduction in personal income tax to 10% for individuals earning more than $30,000 per annum and a $500 public assistant grant for all citizens for the next three months, totaling about $90 million.
In light of the pandemic, the CCM also recommends a special compensation for the self-employed who have been affected by lockdowns and other public health protocols.
“Remove excise tax and other taxes on petroleum products, such as gasoline, diesel, thereby reducing the current $3.25 in taxes, in the price-build up mechanism, and reducing the price of gasoline effectively from $13.00 to $9.75 per gallon, for the benefit of all vehicle owners, but especially for bus and taxi-drivers,” CCM said in its open letter.
The organization also called on government to accelerate income tax refunds and other payments to citizens.
The group took the opportunity to communicate its dissatisfaction with government’s non-issuance of a “long overdue” stimulus to citizens after repeated calls for one. The CCM is convinced that such a package will enable citizens to recover from the “massive loss of revenue, and the pain endured by families prior to and during COVID-19 pandemic.”
“It is public knowledge that every other Caribbean island has offered a formal stimulus package to its citizens. This includes St. Kitts/evis which allocated $120.0 Million in the first instance. The Barbados, the government offered US$1.0 Billion, as a stimulus package to its citizens. Grenada is now on its third offer of a stimulus package. But that has not moved the Dominica government which on the contrary, has persisted with an over-sized, over-valued cabinet of eighteen ministers; government has refused to account for public funds, while hard-pressed families are forced to make adjustments in their spending patterns,” the CCM said.
The CCM further appealed to the government to “rethink its strategy of ignoring the pleas of suffering Dominicans and its disgracefully partisan and derisory approach to providing support to Dominicans, and to fulfil their pledge to serve all citizens justly and equitably, without fear or favour.”
The CCM said it strongly believes that talks on mandatory covid-19 vaccinations should not be held “outside the context of a discussion on the legal and mandatory compensation for these suffering employees and businesses.”
The group said that it stands in solidarity with the hundreds of self-employed persons and small businesses that have been affected by the pandemic, including RUBIS West Indies Ltd, which earlier this month revealed that it was under dire financial strain and would be temporarily withdrawing its services and laying off staff pending the outcome of negotiations with government. This closure was later deferred and the company reopened its doors days later.
Original letter from CCM below:
There is a bunch of screwed heads arrogant people in Dominica with the idea the Labour Party Skerrit, has a money printing machine in his office to just give away money whenever they come knocking on his door! That nonsense must be stop, now that they have learnt a new word “Stimulus” everybody including ugly Lenny, is Stimulus but they will never have the vaccine to get the country back on track well I am sorry but you lots desperadoes go to hell 👹
Skerrit will tell all you that the state can’t afford it. Oddly enough, the state can afford to pay for his palace or waiving of import duties on cars for his cronies. Believe me, the state could afford all these measures if Skerrit had not squandered the CBI money and tell all you where the missing money is.
Good proposition by CCM but the message became contaminated once politics was inserted in the mix.The intended good message ended up sounding like an opposition letter, referencing oversized cabinet, unaccounted monies, totally unnecessary in such a wonderful proposition.
We have to learn to do a better job at messaging. The message dealt with stimulus and the reason for having one so CCM could have stated their case and left it at that.
Also, I notice that there was no mention of the one credible remedy that we currently have dealing with the coronavirus. Not sure whether this was conveniently left out or just an oversight.
Please keep in mind that no amount of stimulus is going to solve the effects of this virus. We can only begin to recover when we get a handle on this disease.
why CCM don’t say where should the Government get the money from and please do not tell me about the billions that missing in Linton head.
Every proposal offered by CCM in their open letter is not only reasonable but needed with immediacy.
Words alone would not convince nor force this ruthless, unconscionable, uncaring rogues to act. The news media, the business sector, the clergy, in fact, the whole of civil society must compel the regime to give in to their reasonable requests or force them out of government with their numbers.
The Skerrit-DLP led despotic regime has an uncanny feeling to see people suffer. Appealing to their conscience is futile. Only a mass show of continuous protests will bring them to their knees.
I fully support the call for a stimulus, especially as monies were given to the government to cushion the difficult times that would accompany the onset of Covid…Furthermore, one has to remember it was during the same difficult covid period that liar Skerrit is getting EC$64000.00 a month to live high on the hog, while small business owners and those made redundant, are suffering, and in some instances just cannot survive!
Other Caricom economies, especially those that are heavjly dependent on tourism, suffered more than Dominica, but gave a stimulus..Dominica with EC$4 000 000 000.00 somewhere can give more than one stimulus!!!
I particularly like this comment. It’s truthful and cannot be refuted. It truly speaks truth to power.
If only the regular news media would do likewise, the changes that we so long yearned for would have materialized a long time ago.
CCM must tell Dominicans what happened to the $60,000 BLESSINGS was talking about when CCM put a DON KEY bridle in his mouth.Tell us why BLESSINGS was kicked out as PRO and replaced by LOFTUS DURAND………………..
You are indeed a clown. Why not ask about what is yours. The EC$4000 000 000.00 is yours, you have no place in CCM.
Your clown!!
@% Lin clown, is speaking the truth and it hurts like a sword in your heart ♥ % your stupid comments is all lies and fabricated crap coming from Ugly Lenny, this is why the supreme Court judges in London told Ugly Lenny, he is a dam little lier, go suck salt you guys don’t have anything on Pm Dr Skerrit, apart from jealousy and wickedness!!!
No money is missing. The money was spent on activities organized by CCM. The treasurer said as much.
Focus on the billions of missing CBI funds. Those monies belong to every citizen of Dominica. Pick the beam out of your eye so you can see clearly to pick the one out of yours.