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While the issue with runoff from banana plantations may be unique to Dominica, this is a problem that is affecting most countries in Europe and the Western Hemisphere. The EU, Canada, the US, Australia, and New Zealand put wallpaper over the problem with policies that allow mass immigration which do not work for island nations with a limited land mass.
Meanwhile, the Cayman Islands and Bermuda put immigration policies in place that deliberately restrict immigration to prevent too many people from moving to those islands. Perhaps Dominica should study those countries and try and duplicate the policies that led to their success.
Those countries that you mention don’t have the government that DA has. They also have an infrastructure and money. There is very little to attract immigration to DA these days, unless you are possibly looking for a vacation.
The numbers that are provided on this program are factual but the reasoning behind what yielded these arguments are flawed. There is no mention of the impacts of climate change and people (especially the more productive people) movements out of Dominica – Hurricane Maria was real. The fact that Dominica does not have a private sector to provides economic opportunities for young people. The government of the day has taken the approach that they will solve all the problems of the youth by giving hand outs and sewo. It keeps the young population dependent on government hand outs for everyday living. The young people who don’t buy into this generally move out of the country. Those who stay and try to get things going (especially on the entrepreneurial front) run into all types of hurdles – access to capital, access to market(outside markets), training, mentorship, etc. For businesses to succeed and thrive you have to put in place an ecosystem that support businesses.
Clearly, you are unfamiliar with Dmincia as it is in 2024. Maybe you are too deep in the UWPwee’s echo chamber.
By the way, if a young person tells you today that they have tried a small business but “run into all types of hurdles – access to capital, access to market(outside markets), training, mentorship, etc.” is telling a lie. Any human today, young or old, who is serious about starting a business has access to several options, most in Government, but also in government-private collaborations. These used to be hurdles, but today, you can walk up to the Small Business Unit at the Government Hq and get free money, free training and mentorship…even the new Budget has funds, I heard, for providing rental free of cost to those who are serious. So, do some reading, get your facts before trying to speak about what occurs in Dominica. Inform yourself and stop relying on the usual opposition mouthpieces.
Is this general knowledge or esoteric thoughts, is there a way to disseminate that info for the lay man to know that’s available and not just once on DBS?
Very informative program. It is my wish that more programs of this kind take place where pressing issues are discussed in an intelligent manner. Hopefully, by that virtue, we can find solutions to that which ails us as a nation. Kudos to Tim Durand and Mark Marie.
This program episode has failed to address the elephant in the room. The government of the day is not making investments in the people. I know people in Dominica with brilliant ideas and great passion but when they get sidelined get frustrated with the business ecosystem – and most of this frustrations comes about because they are not fully aligned with the government of the day. So people pick up and leave. I know this for a fact and this should be part of the factually speaking conversation.
You live in Loa Angeles and you know damn well Dominicans do not leave Dominica because things are bad.They leave because they THINK the grass is greener on the other side.There are thousands of Dominicans who were doing better in Dominica than they are doing in the USA. Most Dominicans in the USA,especially New York pay rent,in Dominica it is different,most people OWN their own home.
DNO will never post those truths.
Even the Haitians who at present are looking for a place of refuge, are using Dominica as a transit point. They refuse to settle in a country where life is as tough as chromium.
The citizens who know how to run Dominica are harassed by police, dragged through the legal system for eternity, excluded from participating in pertinent national issues by the powers that be.
When the haitians themselves can tell you they LEAVING dominica, because things are not good here, that is an indication. Dominicans who are able to leave are leaving. Things are bad. If not for government doing something, nothing happens here except a party and rum drinking. What factories remain in Dominica? Only Tobacco Factory and DCP, and tobacco factory just hanging on by a thread. You know whats happening now? Government is about to raise taxes because they have no money. Soon you will hear government workers complaining they havent gotten paid.
But guess what? Skerrit 3rd mansion still being built by Chinese people, not Dominicans, and he even destroying good perfect roads around it, to rebuild rebuild it again to match his house. If you think i lying go and drive on the road to Pharcs that passes in front of his houses in Morne Daniel today self. and ask them why they mashing up the road when there was nothing wrong with it.
But left to you after God Is Roosevelt…
Of course the grass is greener if you are looking for proper skills, high level education and economical advancement which is the same across all the Caribbean island.
The more important question is why are so many of the Caribbean graduates returning to their home country but in Dominica we don’t see the same. Also the reason for the low interest from persons who have done well financially to return to live or invest in Dominica………….. I believe if you look into the answer this will provide an opportunity for your enlightenment.
To be honest if Dominica 🇩🇲 was the best place in the Caribbean, the problem would be keeping people out. But if people are leaving they must be leaving for somewhere better than where they are.so how do you attract the wright kind of people who want to live in Dominica. I’m sure someone has thought about all of this and there really 🤔 is nothing to worry about lol.
How can someone associate the low birth rate in any country educated people leaving the country?
Simple common sense dictates that if the death ratio exceeds the birth ratio (more people are dying than children been born) annually there can’t be population growth!
There are situations where not even a single child is birth in some villages in a year ; contrary to that the stagnant economy causes both women and men in their productive years (able to produce children) to feel the country!
In every developed nation there is “the push and the pull” only the push exists in Dominica, even the poor disadvantaged Haitians who went to Dominica, flee because the country is economically dead!
That is the primary reason for this diminishing population, which doesn’t have anything to do with brain drain.
If that was the case Dominica’s geniuses would not be in Antigua, and rest of Caribbean, they would be where scientific knowledge are needed, and this 70 thousand population thing is…
You say birth rate, the convo headed in that direction, I say brain drain, your pic.
Indeed it has collapsed. Continuation of the brain drain to build European capitals, Paris, London et al, after they got reparations for Hitler’s operations on them. Just saying it like it is, we have to stop mincing words.
Very interesting program. It would be good for the immigrants to come, but if the come and cannot invest or find work, it is going to put a strain on the economy, that may be a bigger problem for the Government. Once upon a time, Dominica had a very big agricultural indistry with coconuts , bananas, citrus and root crops, that persons came to work here.