Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Roosevelt Skerrit has announced a $104 million loan from the World Bank for the expansion of the government’s housing programme.
“In our furtherance of our efforts to house the nation we successfully negotiated a financial package with the World Bank to the tune of $104 million,” Skerrit said.
He said there is no doubt that this substantial sum of $104 million will cater for a significant number of families.
According to Skerrit, thus far his government has established the Project Implementation Unit and commenced public consultation both of which are pre-requisites to the implementation of the project.
He thanked the World Bank for partnering with the government.
The prime minister said the government has also given the Dominica Social Security (DSS) the green light to proceed with the use of their lands located at Warner for the development of a gated community to cater for young professionals, the middle class and Dominicans in the Diaspora.
“This housing development is open to the private sector and any other investor to partner with the DSS to make this a reality,” he stated.
Skerrit said this is a huge opportunity for persons on island and others in the diaspora.
If the government policy is to give every Dominican a free house then those of us with these thirty year home mortgages should stop paying and allow the government to pay off our mortgages. No one should go to any financial institution to borrow for homes. Allow all banks to close.
With all the WIZARDS in UWP it takes the MOST uneducated,lazy,lying,incompetent manLENNOX LINTON,to discover $ 1,000,000,000 and$ 1,000,000 of Petro Caribe missing.LINTON is the only VOODOO MATHERMATICIAN in Dominica.
Who is going to watch the money? Is it going to be deposited into the treasury and allocated by a board of trustees or is it going to go under the control of yours truly self appointed “minister of finance”? One man should not have sole control of such a large sum of millions. Large sums of money like this have a way of growing legs and getting deposited into personal overseas bank accounts by nefarious characters in high office. The World Bank needs to watch the money like a hawk and conduct an audit every week.
Mr. Skerrit, you have promised to be open and accountable with us. I appreciate that. I will not ask you about the 1 billion 💰 this time. However, I would like to know if any of this $104 million loan will be used to finish the very big house 🏠 you are currently building for yourself, Sir?
You mean the house in Florida?
Maybe the one in Morne Daniel in front his farm they talking about. The one that covered in tiles.
JOSEPH JOHN,that is what those UNEDUCATED,LAZY UWP do not understand.The whole FINANCIAL world trust Skerrit with MONEY.This man can and has accounted for every cent entrusted to him,unlike UWP.The WORLD is watching.Only the incompetent,lying,lazy UWP TRAITORS say Skerrit is dishonest.WICKED people against unfortunate Dominicans
So why were we black listed? explain that. Why were we forced to do certain things if that was the case. Who do you people think you are fooling? Maybe you trust him with YOUR money, but right now the Kalinago people dont him with THEIRS. And i sure dont with mine..
Please give each local contractor about two million dollars to build these homes and young engineers overseeing the projects. Its about time we employ Dominican’s to build our homes. Only Chinese were employed on this big housing project, Bellevue Chopin housing development. Dominicans want work too, and the money will stay right here.
I hope you are not asking them to use that young engineer who said the Macoucherie bridge “was not going anywhere soon” to do anything with building houses.
Skerrit I know, and you know that patriot Linton has you on the ropes. One question lazy Skerrit..
Where has the money gone???
I just know that you will answer to my question! Your Lazy……….!
I guess CBI money cannot come in fast enough to pay for the election, now Skerrit has to resort to borrowing to keep himself and his party in power. They are busy spreading out all kinds of “Cool Out” money to buy votes. At the rate they are spending, it is little wonder not even CBI can keep up.
I grieve for my country.
Remember, the DSS resorts under the Minsistry of Finance. Our Minister of Finance is also our Prime Minister. As I see it, therefore this is a Government development, probably with properties on a “for sale” basis, especially since it is also targeted at Dominicans in the diaspora. If not, who will be the legal owners? Even if the purchasers have legal title (and I mean freehold), they will be subject to a service charge for things like maintaining & servicing the “gate”, which normally includes a 24/7 guard. Who will pay for al that? Also, the location of this development would need residents to have a vehicle since there are no central services, including adequate shopping facilities in that area. In principle this could be a good idea but I think we need full details before we can give approval.
This loan is nothing more than Skerrit saddling the country with a $104 million debt (plus interest), so that he can buy another election. This man will stop at nothing to maintain power.
More loan again? The longer them man stay there the deeper they dig the hole
Gooooooood morning Felllow Dominicans :
Are you alll hearing, seeing n reading what am reading?
After alll the CBI talk about money for this n money for house, hotel, and alll dat crap.. NOW that Mr Linton has exposed them, you hearing about loan for housing? Wat madness is that.. Dominicans ain’t taking dat..
Telll us about the CBI money… Tellll us about our money… We want our billions,,
What about the millions we received from Donors after hurricane errika n Maria?
We want facts n figures…….
Skerritt where we money gone?
It gone hiding
Little boy where de money gone it gone cayman swimming with corals..
You Mr Skerritt n your team think you alll smart, so you coming on Kairi n stummer n talk crap n rubbish confusing people..
Mr Lennox now start the pressure, now he must go international about CBI n the funds Dominica got for recovery… We taking it on Facebook. Instagram, CNN, BBC, CBS n alll news papers around the world.. Tell us the truth or is global it…
I know Dominicans love to be in the road as their national past time, but why do we always build roadways WITH NO SIDEWALKS? In a housing development ? for crying out loud. Come on man. Plus the roads in those settlements can only take 2 vehicles WITH NO SPACE FOR PARKING. Meanwhile if i go to the Physical Planning Division they want to ensure i put parking space, even if it is for your private home, but they not holding these developers to task. the drainage is also a problem as i see the gutters are too shallow. the ground floors where apartments are are below the road level. what i really want to see are well though out GATED communities that are marketed towards middle class young professionals who want to sign an actual lease with the possibilities of ownership.
So we taking a loan, to do the exact same thing the CBI money has been hailed for being so good at doing? hmm
😒 that’s odd. Why would he take a loan now? Is MMCE backing out?
Or is this loan taking a smoke screen to hide how much money CBI is really making. Notice he leaves out if it is USD or EC dollars.
That was my initial thought. I am glad there are people in Dominica who see beyond the smoke screens.
Tell me
Loans to give free housing?
What is our debt sir?
How are we going to pay for it in the long run.
Nothing in this life is free- our children, grandchildren and great grand are the ones who will be paying this massive stupidness called “free housing” that you are offering.
Everyone needs a roof over their heads- provide us with useful and meaningful ways of supporting ourselves.
We thank you for the “free house” which we will have to pay back for the rest of our lives- mayshastay
Way the money gone?
The Housing Revolution is on. We are moving on. Layba car twavie. Lyba k twavie. That is the power of beyou good leadership, that has to be BEST leadership That is the power of positive thinking. Thank you Sir showing that there is international confidence in you and by extension in our Dominica. We shall overcome all the negatives the stressors have in their play book, in their storage for psychological warfare and terrorism.
“….this substantial sum of $104 million will cater for a significant number of families.”
No, this substantial sum will cater to a significant number of your supporters.
Dear Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Roosevelt Skerrit,
Sir, where the money gone?
A very large chunk of that amount legally or otherwise, finds it’s way into bank of Skerrit and DLP
This is great news. Like a true politician this is also a missed opportunity to be up front/transparent by simply informing us how much of this is GRANT funding and how much is LOAN. After all, not all of us are gullible, some of us are actually paying attention and will independently determine whether it’s a great effort or best bang for the buck. May God bless this rebuilding effort!
It says clearly an unambiguously, in the first paragraph, that this is a loan. We are required to pay it back and service it.
My apologies, I stand corrected. Hiding in plain sight. Now Im torn apart with all the partisan stuff I’m hearing about. ….a loan, I’m on the fence again looking on.
“…The government has given DSS the green light to proceed with the use of their lands located at Warner for the development of a gated community to cater for young professionals, the middle class and Dominicans in the Diaspora.”
Long after the rest of the world has realised that apartment blocks are not the best solution – even for urban areas let alone rural communities – we decide to build them. And now that the rest of the world is having second thoughts about the social implications of gated communities, we give the green light to plan for them.
The most likely outcome of these plans is a steady worsening of marginalization and social inequalities that already plague Dominica.
Roger it’s bit quite as cut n dry like this. One must consider our terrain as there’s not much flat land or land away from cliffs which limits space for safe buildings. But it can be done in ways that are aestheticly pleasing and oriented to take full advantage of nature such as sunlight and airflow. However, multi story buildings go up all over the world to house people, I think culture and attitude can dictate how successful they become.
Dominica’s terrain is not a negative but a positive. Flat land is the worst scenario for innovative architecture and vibrant living. Hundreds of years ago, in other parts of the world, cities and townships were built on terrain for more demanding than ours. Today, these locations rank as some of the worlds most desirable.
Is that U.S.dollars or our own E.C. dollars. Why do we need a loan from the world bank if we getting so much money from our CBI progamme. I assume we must pay back that loan to the bank with interest. Do the hotel developers, like Sam, have to pay back the CBI money they get from government escrow account and do they have to pay interest also because the way I see it this is a loan too unless it is a gift.
I really hope the people who needs the houses the most will benefit. So far this is not what’s happening. Foot soldiers are getting houses based not based on need..
News from Dominica grows bizarre by the day. With all those passports selling and being sold. Why do we still need a loan in that amount from international lenders?
Tio, adonde esta nuestro dineros??!!
This is totally reckless by this rogue government. Taking up loans that the country is unable to service over years to come. If these houses would be rented to people air proper market rent, I would not say anything. But they are being used to bribe people to vote for Skerrit again. The treasury won’t see a cent in return for them because they are giving away for votes. Skerrit has to be stoped! He is ruining our country.
If DLP loses, they will not have to worry about how to pay back the loan.
Taking loans to give people free housing? Well what kind of finance minister is dat?
One who is concerned about the people. This is a loan from the world bank. If it was a bad policy decision the world bank would never even consider it much less approve of 104 million dollars.
So now you guys are asking what kind of loan is that.
I guess you negative people are smarter than Skerro, smarter than the world bank the world bank. Wow.
SMH, it may surprise you but even you may be smarter than Skerrit. But both are really under average when it comes to decision making at the national level.
In 15 years as PM and 20 years in Gov’t Skerrit has failed to put his people first everytime. He prefers to play politics to remain in office thatn to address real developmental issues in the country. All these loans and buildings all over doen’t create sustainable employment for Dominicans. And worse these apartments will eventually become major liabilities to the state.
Maybe the world bank just accepted our government accounts as presented? Who audits these accounts antyway and dont tell me is the old auditor, who suppose to be retired but still getting paid by government. That would be like Ali Baba guarding your jewels. Anyway, those accounts supposed to be presented to parliament every year, the constitution says so. When is the last time we saw them? But what we expect, according to the P.M. the constitution does not apply to him. A very unsatisfactory state of affairs.
do worry man the billions they selling in passports will pay for it
“O, what a tangled web we weave when first we practise to deceive!”
(Sir Walter Scott)
Skerrit, you will maway yourself in your web of lies
(Me)
Skerritt there is no middle class in Dominica. The labor party has WIPED that out. You are either filthy rich or smelling poor. There is no middle class. So who are you catering those houses for. Is that your way of trying to buy Dominicans in the diaspora? You know very well that if any gated community is built I Dominica you thieving politicians will buy out all the properties because no one else will be able to buy any. So before you consider gated community why don’t you raise the minimum wage to a level the would see the return of the middle class. What value of property will a person working for $4.05 per hour be able to buy? If one wake ten hours every day for the next ten years here is how much he will make: $44.56 × 3650 = $162,644.00. During tgat timw he has to eat and maintain his family. Can someonebtell me which financial institution will even listen to him let alone consider him for a mortgage!!!!!! Remember that’s ten years, seven days a week and ten hours a day.