Dear Editor,
I am a hard working Dominican who is frustrated by the system.
I sat wondering where exactly this country is heading; we are being asked to make more sacrifices while the price of goods and services are increasing.
There were already complains about the fifteen percent value added tax, now we are facing the extra twenty five percent on imported goods. Who do you think will be absorbing those new taxes? The small poultry farmers are ask to produce more; because they are being encouraged by the leader of our beloved country .Yet the poultry farmer suffers tremendous shortage in animal food supplies. And the locally grown chickens are more expensive than the imported one.
– We have seen our Social Securing has increased annually because they invested our monies and lost it, now we have to pay it back.
-Compared to our neighbors we have the most expensive energy bill
-We are also required to pay VAT on loans, property purchases, and building materials, (everything) yet no priority (or favors) is given to the taxpaying man to own my own home.
-In order to own a good car you are ask to pay 140%, that is three to four time the value at customs. The driving community are ask to pay more now due to new taxes (road maintenance).Can someone please tell me why do we have to most expensive custom charges in the Caribbean.
-The market is controlled by the few, the elite who monopolizes it.. The country money is either going back to China or in the pocket of the few, and the poppet masters.
Everything is getting more expensive in this country, while the purchasing power is slowly migrating elsewhere; our migration ratio has gone up. Have we ever taken into consideration that there are over 550000 Dominicans in the worldwide, but only about 68-69000 on the island.
Our work force is slowly moving to greener pastures including China, and avoid and the strain is being felt by the few. I don’t understand the logic of educating our young peoples, but they have to look for job security elsewhere, the majority can’t find a job here because they are overqualified. We heard about price control, not yet implemented but salaries remain the same.
The system takes forever with simple tasks. Planning to build a house forgets it; the system frustrates you, before you get a clear answer to why your plan is being delayed, and why the process is taking so long. Everything here is either politically influenced and if it’s not, someone is getting paid to seat on their derriere and delay the process of things for God knows what.
Take, take and more taking, nothing is being given in return but promises.
Then you wonder why so many of us are leaving?
A lot of what you are going through is not unique to Dca. In bigger countries you don’t have to pay the high import taxes and and VAT is a lot lower than 15% but your income tax is usually a lot higher than it is in Dca. But apart from food you have to import everything else in Dca so what u save by paying less income tax u pay way more in consumption tax. Dca energy costs ridiculous. So it not that much easier overseas trust me.
I see alot of people on her talking about overseas not greener pastures it hard everywhere. That is partially true but there is a reason so many of us leaving and not coming back. There is more job opportunities overseas if you work hard like most Dcans do the opportunity is there to get educated and move up in your career. Thats basically the advantage overseas has more opportunity.
Everybody cannot create their own business otherwise we would have no employees to work for us
I dont think it would be any different if skerrit lennox or papy was…
De problem is Govt, Cambodia, is turning into a capitalist mecca with almost no government interference in the economy or day-to-day life and is absolutely booming right now.
I feel nothing for you,YOU ALL HAVE THE POWER TO CHANGE THE INCOMPETENT LEADER AND KEEP ON PLACING HIM BACK IN OFFICE,dOMINICA IS DOOMED.
Run as far as you all can …but I hope when you all run you won’t sing a different song….because the same taxes you all complaining about you will still end up paying it in another man country. ..thftere is misery and poverty all over the world….so when you all thing you run ing from Dominica to go to the so called greener pastures
So when you all think that you running from Dominica to greener pastures…it’s the same system you running into…and I’m most certainly sure that the same complains is in every country so don’t make it look like is Dominica alone faces the problem ….where I reside right now unless you move up to a position no one gets a raise but prices keep jacking up everything goes up except your pay…so you see my people the system is all the same all over the world ….the struggle are real .it’s always a struggle for the poor.and that is life …got to pay the taxes that keeps a country going ..and that is the reason Dominica never really move anywhere in the past …because everybody wants everything free…you people are to spoil that is why you all complains so much about the little tax the the government wants you all to pay ….I make $300 in one week and that before taxes so after tax which leaves me with about $250 got all my bills to pay …do you think that can cover my bills
Never ..after taking out all their taxes do you think it’s the Government business whether I can pay my bills or not…maybe some of you never traveled before so that was just a little insight of the out side world ….it is what it is can’t fight the system…..as the saying goes you can’t beat them so just join them..peace to all
I am total agreement with your comment. Some people think
that life is better overseas. but it isn’t. How many people pay taxes
here on the property they own .e.g house and land. In America for example
if u don’t pay your taxes after a period of time they put your house up for auction
If u get sick in America before you see the doctor you have to show insurance
In Dominica the cost of Health Care is no comparison to Dominica. and in many
I agree if u are overseas there are better opportunities for education. but for the most part
life overseas is not much easier than DA…The same problem all over
I agree with you. Most are here complaining about Dominica, but little do you know they are in the next man country paying more taxes than they would ever pay in Dominica, they are complaining every day to their families “Things, are rough, things are hard, things not like before
” but at the same time they are bashing the very country they were born. Get it straight, things are rough on a global level, so pay your taxes like other countries. Nothing in this life is for free.
There is no greener pasture any where in the world for most Dominican. You were given 305 square miles of fertile soil, with the Atlantic and caribean sea with a lot of tropical fish, 365- rivers , you dont even know how to put water in a bottle and sell it. It does not matter where on the planet you travel to you will always remain civil servants serving others and remain proffesional beggers until you dye. If you cannot create jobs in your country, you certainly will never do it any where else. How many people who went to England in the 50 got rich no one. Most people who went to canada and the US must dye poor , because most of them dont have the brains to start their own companys. We must fix our mind running away does not solve any thing. We live with cackroach in basements in the Bronx.
The writer is frustrated and he or she has reasons to be. Rather than analyzing the situation we are looking at all the petty things. We need to ask ourselves one important question is Dominica better now than before?
I say no. The system is corrupt. The court system is corrupt because it is not allowed to work as an independent body. There are square pegs in round holes. Skerrit appoints his friends to be permanent secretaries ….. If you not red you are dead and list goes on. One thing that brings consolation to me is Skerrit and his gang must pay for what they are doing to Dominica. What start must stop and it will stop very soon.
PETER SMITH, both writers from the USA is right to many Dominican want it all free don’t want to work and beg for a dollar to buy rum, PETER SMITH i will say Dca. is better now than before, the thing is scum bags like you have lots of hate in you green eyes very envy of the PM. saying the system is corrupt when UWP were in power lots and lots of money gone missing up till now ,all the malicious lies going on get a job and move on.
while you are on taxes, I am pretty sure that the chinese not paying the taxes imposed on the country. now tell me don’t you see dominica being run by chinese because they will take over every small man business.the government opens the way for this to happen. A french man who is trying to cripple dominica and then letting all his children born in America. but my bible tells me, that there is no safe zone no hiding place for the wicked and the Evil.so he may run after he cannot rule no more but he cannot hide. torment time.
I was just talking to my friend about the sad situation in Dominica. I am also hard working and I feel your pain. I want to study but alas the money is just not there. I went to the Ministry of Education, Mr. Pepper for assistance and was told that everything lies with the PM. I was not given assistance yet you see money given to people to buy transport etc. This place is sick. My next option is to get the hell out of that place. I just can’t take it anymore. One just working like a boowick and can’t even enjoy the benefits of it.
Stupes…… totally fed up and frustrated.
I know what your going through I feel it too, I am a young woman living here in DA , my parents are Dominicans but I was Born and raised in Antigua. I started a family here and work hard every day to feed my kids . I sit back and listen and realized I made a mistake . This place stinks of politics, everything is influenced by politics its sickening. I am not any color at all I have never voted in my life but all I know is things are not good for some of us. Things are good with the politicians and there family and friends but not for ppl like me. It is true that every where is going through hardship. The thing that makes it worse here in dominica is that good ppl are suffering in there jobs because they do not support the present government. I know what am talking about. If some one belongs to the blue side to make them uncomfortable for not voting the red they are being moved from there current post and placed one the opposite side of the island to work. if it gets wost I will leave.
I feel Your pain. More of the same to come. Keeping it Real!
Skerrit for president. lol. Aye, what you expect for 5 more years. Who can afford to run will run. The rest, well lets hope they can handle their labour power.
This is why DA has to be the grenada of 1979 & the Cuba of 1959 asked the Marxist turn capitalists Lawyers Engineers etc.They would know. They too will flee to the USA and elsewhere where their family reside.they already have their green card.
Make sure your children are born in the U.S.A. before the conservatives come in. Did you hear me venerable leader?
My dear friend,
Your plight becomes my plight because there is no proper planning. The Manager who is a poor leader thinks he can lead but unfortunately he puts words together with no meaning. Dominica is being led by people whose objective is to become wish and mighty and to have the masses look up to them. Have faith my dear, the Creator will soon release us from the monster. Everything you stated makes sense unfortunately, the leader does not have common sense and therefore, all he does is to make a mess and fool the citizens. I am confidence it is not long before emancipation comes our way.
Hold on strong my dear
One could tell where this pile of crap is coming from, all the years you guys been sucking Dominica dry now you have to pay like every one ,every now things is going up food , loans, the lot and you crying baby go suck your Dummy.
…dummy has 15% vat Fly!. Can’t afford it anymore.
DNO please give me a break. Is that news worthy. Thanks again for showing us how you are so bias. Obviously there is nothing new so you are bombarding us with negativity. We work because we have to survive. Only problematic political wanna be winne winners who are constantly complaing. You are bringing down the integrity and morality of our nation. Tell your frustrated comrades DA has a huge wildlife and wilderness create their own jobs. If you’re not satisfied NOVICE promised what z???? Jobs. See him.
ADMIN: This is a “Letter to the Editor.” We give everyone the opportunity to express their opinion.
@Winners greediesou are probably one of the , who are taking from the needy.Your filth must be dumped in the landfill. Your vile and wicked heart,coupled with your avariciousness must NOT DETER POOR AND FRUSTRATED DOMINICANS FROM WRITING!
You are probably one of the greedies taking from the needy. That’s how I intended it to read!
Winners you are soo correct.
Winners….. obviously you are not living in dominica but in your own rich world . Some of us are really hungry even if we are working. so sad that you have no compassion
That’s what Dominicans voted for, they like misery
AMEN, AMEN and AMEN….!
Very true. Fustration all around.
Dominica’s most thriving export is its people. And we wonder why the country isn’t progressing?
One more thing to add to your list, while we are hearing the country has shortages and insufficient funding for darn near everything, we are hearing that the same broke country can afford to hire regional lawyers to pursue ridiculous legal cases for political leverage.
The director of audit needs to be fired. But then again, they are all protecting each other in this sick government, while the foolish among us believe their lies and pat them on the back.
Dominicans must rise up! Until they do, things will continue to get worse.
Check out Venezuela and see how far they have come. NO Tee-Pee here. Lets see how long they accept their fate then we can gauge how long we’ll accept ours. The same people that saying Dominicans lazy are the same ones who look for handouts at the Red Clinic or whatever they call it theses days. They say the PSU does not work and lazy for years but they wont ask for the top bosses to be fired. At some point the leaders need to take ownership. Where’s my coca cola by the way? Me thirsty.
Have to laugh about the cola remark. Me thirsty too!! What’s up with that?
So True. what can we do to make this country a better place for us all?
Kalinago
These may help:
1. Get rid of Skeritt the evil dictator, sending him to Outer Mongolia is perhaps too good for him!
2. Sack the current Incompetent sycophants who were hired because of their “yes sir, I will lick your boots Master Skeritt”
3. Recur ate the selfish useful labour idiots’ who are happy with the paltry handouts Herr Skeritt gives them, and
4. rehire qualified, innovative and capable individuals (Irrespective of their political aspirations) to move Dominica forward.
This man and his band of Jmerry idiots are continuing to destroy our beloved country.
THIS IS SO TRUE.
Everything written is so true……
I so agree. There seem to be no light at the end of the tunnel. Salaries are not increasing, yet everything is going up. Food is too expensive, the bare necessities to feed our children. Sometimes I wondering why some of us work so hard of we can’t enjoy the fruits of our labour. Noone should have to work just to pay bills. Everyone deserves a nice house and something extra in their pockets, but the way thinhs are going….
You have said it so very well. We seem to think in Dominica that taxing and already broke economy is going to stimulate it. I mean jeez…it’s hard to keep your composure when you speak and think about these ‘atrocities’ I call them. We have to stimulate the economy and the way to do that is to create jobs and encourage spending. When we take more than we have from an economy we only falling further behind. Government has to encourage private sector investment and that isn’t happening. Dominica is among the worst places to do business. The cost of utilities, the general difficulty and bureaucracy, the size of the market, lack of government incentive for small and medium enterprises and on and on. Heaven help us all.
It seem like we will all have to go back to our years past, which was much happier times. Go to our gardens, catch crayfish in our rivers, raise our livestock’s, do rock fishing and our fishermen go back to our seas. We also need to bring back our donkeys
. Our modern lifestyle is killing us. Very depressing. My memories of growing up in Dominica was of such happy times, though we did not have much.
125 years ago, William Morris wrote a book titled “News from Nowhere”. It was a vision of what England might be if it reverted back to a craft/agricultural based society. If on reading the book you substitute “Dominica” for “England” the message is relevant.
Dominica has the largest yet most INEFFECTIVE cabinet in the history of Dominica and Caribbean. Yet Dominicans like it.
Dominicans are not fustrated. They LOVE the system
All who can get out get out. The leaders have secure themselves and their children. Is now to the lower masses to fight our battle. What we wanted WE GET IT
Many grammatical errors in this article. I do concur though that this economy under this present gang of inept, corrupt and incompetent clowns is heading down a slippery slope to failure,hopelessness and chaos!
Concentrate on the message, not the messenger.
As long as we can understand what the Farmer trying to say , is all. Things are bad in Dominica and the Government don’t care a dam.
failure, hopelessness (space between the two words).
%
Major error in your comment.
“Dominica is not heading down a slippery slope to failure., hopekessness and chaos”, my friend Dominica is already there!