Dominica government meets with major players to discuss measures to stimulate economy

 

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27 Comments

  1. lettuce
    April 16, 2020

    I think it is high time that Dominica people stop patronizing supermarkets that don’t purchase from local farmers. From the local farmers they want top notch quality and big big produce. I want to know if they were all born the same size. When a farmer plants sometimes he gets big and sometimes small. Should the farmer be penalised because he has small crops, The way it set up is only the big names that will survive. Let me vent tan because farmers really don’t have a medium for that.

  2. Natural Dominican
    April 15, 2020

    Finally, the need for a kool-out is real…lets see ha ha

  3. L C Matthew
    April 15, 2020

    Government should lead by example. All ministers should take a pay cut. How about reduce to government pay by 50%. There should be a law that states gov pay raise should be based on that of the productive economy. If there is a 5% growth in GDP then ministers get a 2.5% raise. At this point if skerrit want to show he cate about country then parliament should take a 50% pay cut. 75% from gov ministers

  4. FINANCIAL
    April 15, 2020

    Now I don’t like looking at how other islands conduct business, however, it is necessary in this case. St. Vincent did not close their airport nor did Barbados.

    We (Dominica) have done a good job on COVID-19 management and control measures protocol.

    PM, It’s time to open the airport, strategically.

    • Stressfree
      April 16, 2020

      Financial are you serious!! open our airport and or our ports strategically? to who may I asked? while trying to answer- try going to Barbados, Trinidad, or St. Vincent then come back to tell us of your experience. For one they will not let you and your aircraft in without good reason, secondly if they do, you will have to go into a 14 day quarantine; there will be a cost , you will have to be tested. transported, feed, housed, clothe. during the 14 day period. why would you want to put our economy and health and social services under that kind of added pressure. additionally we do not have a national airline nor a passenger ferry service , all airlines and ferries coming to Dominica are under locked down , so tell me what and to whom you intend to open too? finally why would yo want to advise the govt to increase this added risk factor to the population?

  5. zandoli
    April 15, 2020

    So it took Covid-19 to spur the government to look at spurring the economy? That should have been done 15 years ago to this moribund economy.
    I guess Skeritt was convinced everything was OK.

  6. L C Matthew
    April 15, 2020

    Since early 2000s IMF put stipulations on Dominica. What resulted was a VAT to stabilize the economy. For the past 20 years we killed manufacturing, destroyed Agriculture, tourism been dead and there has been hardly any significant export to new markets. We have only exported our most valuable human resources and passports. This was a meeting that should have taken place since 2002. It would not have stopped the natural disasters we faced but we would have been already resilient. Friends of all satellite of non but not one export to any of those friends to provide export and revenue for Dominica produce. Contracts to foreign entity from gov funds when local contractors who employ dominicans struggling. Hotel built with passport investment but before one guest people walk away with over 8 million. Skerrit has 20 year record to show he aint know one crap about economic growth. The private sector need to do there own ground work. Gov need to start by reducing VAT.

  7. viewsexpressed
    April 15, 2020

    Well said Ibo France, Re the incompetence of Skerrit: This section needs to be repeated.
    “As Skerrit at the helm of any proposed economic stimulus, it inevitably will go up in flames. The man has never had any formal training in economic or financial matters not even an hour. Just to pinpoint the gross incompetence of this Skerrit led Administration.”
    Also this statement is also so true and correct and we in the government service have been saying so over 19 years now.
    ” Why is Dominica yet to do this? The Leader (fake Skerrit) cannot lead, he is only adept at ‘tiefing’ elections”. Skerrit is useless, immature, lacks vision, only talk BS nonsense and is trying to get at our Hon Linton, a decent man who holds the position of “Leader of the Opposition” and has our Dominica at heart aby supported by this formidable, professional UWP trusted, dedicated Team.
    We need to get Skerrit out of our Government, along with his failed, fake, questionable Labour government. Skerrit get…

  8. Nastief
    April 15, 2020

    I hope and pray that when food security is being discussed. Local supermarkets will buy from local farmers. The farmers are suffering, when you go to the supermarkets you see imported cabbage, carrots, and so much more while farmers produce are spoiling on their hands. These business men believe local produce are not good.

    • UKDominican
      April 15, 2020

      We must also recognise that those supermarkets are catering to their customers’ demands. In other words they would not be selling imported goods if they had no local buyers for it. I am all for local but you can not force customers to buy it. You must be competitive in all aspects, not only price and quality but also availability.

      • parrot
        April 16, 2020

        Farmers become discouraged when they have produce and no markets. Whenever, there is a scarcity on the foreign market that’s when local people turn to the local farmers. You people always have an excuse why not to buy local produce. I can understand there are some crops that are not grown here, but I see farmers making the extra effort to grow such crops like leeks, zuchinni, cilantro, squash etc. wicked allu wicked local things are never good and when we purchase from locals we want to pay next to nothing for it.

      • DE Backyard farmer
        April 16, 2020

        Whose demands the retired british people who want them to bring in all the things they used to buy in Europe. Then you all should retire in peace in the UK

  9. petal
    April 15, 2020

    Great move! I want to ask when will the rest of the people get their homes in the southern district. Thanks you..

  10. Dominican
    April 15, 2020

    I note that this release was made five days after the meeting with the major stakeholders in our economy. Secondly, unusually it was made not by the P.M.’s office but by the ministry of a cabinet member, Hon. Denise Charles. Does this mean that it is not wholeheartedly endorsed by the the P.M., notwithstanding his presence at the meeting?
    There is a cryptic phrase at the end of the release, which says that we must look to evangelise financial relieve solutions. Since evangelising denotes the preaching of Jesus’ teachings in plain speech this would mean that we must pray for miracles, understandable in the circumstances as I believe our CBI revenue, our main source of income, may be well down against projected forecast. This may also explain the P.M. reluctance to commit himself to a relief package as the treasury simply does not have the funds to finance it. Hard as it is I would prefer the government to come clean and open its book. Government debts are our debts.

  11. RastarMarn
    April 15, 2020

    How is it people are not crying foul when these things happen!!!

    The whole concept of a prime Minister being also the Chief financial office it probably letting Mamo turn sideways in her Grave!!!

    While Small People like Marn cannot do anything but C’Mon allyou in the opposition do something already nuh,,,

    Go back to allyou history and look at how much advantage allyou have way more than the Slaves had in their days and they accomplished way more in their little tenure more than allyou will ever accomplish in allyou Lifetimes all put together!!!

  12. Red fool
    April 14, 2020

    Mr. Stim, U-late! Mr stim u too damn late. Mr. Stimulate you much too late. You should have known long time that you cannot stimulate no damn economy by giving us your supporters for our Easter
    1 box of Macaroni & cheese
    1 cornbeef
    1mackrel
    2 everporated milk
    1 lentils
    2 ramen noodles
    1 chicken soup
    1 Ovaltine pack
    2 cool aid packs

    Man that’s a death package all you gave Re us we man and all you talking about stimulus package? Eh!? All you were hoping we would die from eating our stimulate package man? All you could not even put a Red beans in it to remind us to stay red?

    • Toto
      April 15, 2020

      Man that is. what you buy our people’s silence with. That is so pathetic. Is only the merchant that supply that package and you made a deal with, who is making the money and he probably had to give you credit. Is so you teaching people to be grateful then? Is jobs we want brother, jobs so we can make our own living and hold our heads up high..

  13. De-lie-lah or De Liar?
    April 14, 2020

    Skerrit told us he was in discussion with Ross to give the business owners of Picard a package Wii. 2 years later has anyone received any packages?
    That same Skerrit told us he was in negotiations with four Universities to replace Ross Wii. Has anyone seen any University or elementary school apart from those Haitians that have nothing significant to contribute?
    That same Skerrit told us on the eve of the 2014 election that he had all the money and design for the international airport and if we voted him by next day we would see work on the airport Wii. 6 years later our one little airport close Wii
    Boy Ian Douglas is a trained lawyer and minister of Skerrit since the death of his uncle Rosie, and he warned us about that lying Skerrit that fooled him more than twice Wii. But the fool still keeps being fooled and now helping him fool us wii.
    Boy when I think of Mr I immediately think of Burning Spear song about Christopher Columbus is a damn blasted liar Wii.You want me to believe…

    • Toto
      April 16, 2020

      Off course they receive package, we all receive package, package of lies.

  14. April 14, 2020

    Which economy? Dominica has an economy?
    I’m of the opinion Skerit called this gathering to have a consensus as to which country we are going to beg next.

    • viewsexpressed
      April 17, 2020

      We just need to get rid of this failed immature, incompetent Skerrit and his corrupted failed Labour Government. They have failed us now over 19 years and we need sound, mature, competent, trusted leadership and government in our Dominica, for the sake of our children and our Dominica. Skerrit has overstayed his welcome and he must get the hell lost from our government. Skerrit you are a failure, excessively immature and lack knowledge of Soci-economic development. “Go to Hell, Go to Hell, it is our Damn Business.” We need this failed man Skerrit and his failed incompetent, visionless Labour Party out of our government and please take your failed Labour people with you.
      We need to take control of ur Dominica. Too much Bool, deception, lies, failures, killed our agriculture, has our poor people as beggars through this corrupted Red Clinic. We also know of the Bin Bobol, Passport Bobol, Fertilizer Bobol and Skerrit and his blind government killed our agriculture. Skerrit, “Go to…

  15. Ibo France
    April 14, 2020

    For the sake of those who have no means of an income, I hope that their financial situation will improve yesterday. As Skerrit at the helm of any proposed economic stimulus, it inevitably will go up in flames. The man has never had any formal training in economic or financial matters not even an hour. Just to pinpoint the gross incompetence of this Skerrit led Administration. Most Caribbean countries have an economic stimulus package in place . Why is Dominica is yet to do this? The Leader cannot lead, he is only adept at ‘teefing’ elections.

    • Ras B
      April 15, 2020

      The country is broke!!!

    • April 15, 2020

      “The man has never had any formal training in economic or financial matters not even an hour.”

      That’s true, although I’m not sure which current figures in either major party do other than Joseph Isaac.

      Either way, having just gone through something economically similar with Maria, one question I hope comes up at these sorts of meetings is what worked and didn’t work in our response to that, and what did we learn from that experience that might help us approach this recovery more effectively.

    • dissident
      April 15, 2020

      Skerrit using Dem fellas as his footstool.
      Skerrit says he HOPE to make an announcement soon……he didn’t say he preparing something to take to Parliament for approval!!!!!
      These toothless kittens are powerless and imagine they represent part of the structure of our economy…. they act in Skerrit desired interest. Who getting theirs know what they getting. Acting like de organizations is theirs to do favors for and satisfy Skerrit…..de very lives of the people mean nothing to all you.
      I would give each organization a container of lollipop to suck.
      SUCKERS!!!!

    • Batibou River
      April 15, 2020

      Who or what is supposed to finance that economic stimulus which doesn’t come cheap. Thanks to Skerrit the state coffers are empty. Or has he ‘found’ all of a sudden the missing CBI and PetroCaribe money? Somehow I doubt it. These talks will again turn out to be nothing but propaganda

    • Just a little pointer
      April 15, 2020

      All the cool out that was given, and unless money spent on festivals, never knew the day would come when they would need it for something serious. Plus hurricane season fresh around the corner. People need to wake up, stop looking outside and look to develop our local markets, implement a ‘buy local campaign’, brain storm plans to build factories and outlets to produce our own, we have alot of people who could do with the work. Now is the time to stand up or get run over.

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