Prime Minister, Roosevelt Skerrit, has announced that government will continue the National Employment Program (NEP), however it will be reviewed.
He made that statement while addressing a press conference held earlier this week.
According to Prime Minister Skerrit provisions will be made in the 2015/2016 National Budget to have the programme reviewed.
“We are reviewing it and I think the Minister for Employment, Honourable (Ian) Douglas is here and have done a fantastic job on advising us on a reviewed NEP,” he stated.
Skerrit said, for example, there are monies in the Ministry of Public Works for the maintenance and community enhancement arm of the NEP.
He noted that those who are employed in that area have been doing a fantastic job.
“So the idea is we will keep the 371 or so who are on the community enhancement arm of the NEP, but that they will be paid under the funds provided to the Ministry of Public Works to do that particular task,” he explained.
According to the Prime Minister his government is using creative ways of seeking to reduce the budget of the NEP but not dropping the numbers in any dramatic or significant way.
“We understand that it is important for all those who are engaged and we have gotten great reports,” he remarked.
Skerrit noted those who say the NEP is coming to an end are only involved in scaremongering.
“You will see funds continuing for the NEP because people say come December 9th it will end, all sort of scaremongering and so forth, six months after December it is still going and there will be monies placed in it to continue it,” he explained.
The Uneducated Wicked People and their loud-mouthed minions here on DNO and in a few small pockets around the Island hates the National Employment Program. WHY? Because while they sit at home wasting time listening to senseless propaganda and calling in to make baseless and idiotic comments on a certain radio station, Labourites are working hard, making money, looking and smelling good, driving nice cars and eating well. Their leadership spends more time in the studios of this “certain” radio station than they do at working to better the lives of their supporters. His Holiness, the most precious, compassionate and honourable, Prime Minister Dr. Roosevelt Skerrit works tirelessly to improve the lives of ALL Dominicans through programs such as the NEP. The critics on the other side of the political fence wants to see an end to this great program that continues to improve the lives of so many simply because it makes right-thinking Dominicans respect and love our blessed Prime…
why should a government take monies from other government to pay for salaries for people who do not produce.
when that money could be used in manufacturing, agricultural development and other places of importance with long term benefits which could also create long term employment…
Labour/oflove
i have to disagree with you that the N EP improves the standard of living for Dominicans and that the labour suporters are working hard while those on the other side are sitting idle by.while the NEP may provide a living for a few this is nothing but labour party gimmick to stay in office and does nothing to improve the life of those in the program or the country on a whole . Their salaries are paid by taxpayers, therefore they contribute nothing to the economy and in one case that i know of one young man was sent to a public school where he walked up and down on the verandah all day wearing dark glasses and playing with a phone not one day every day which caused me to ask the staff Who is this guy and what is his duty ?the answer was he was sent by N E P and is paid $900.00 monthly AS a senior citizen I think that young man should be at a construction site or garrage learning a trade both for himself and his country.
Hahaha, maybe he was in training for Skerrit’s secret service?
very good my pm
Mr. Skerrit, are you telling us that you are taking 371 or so workers from the NEP and put them under the payroll of Public Works while at the same time firing current employees at the same Public works? Is the plan to make the current Public works employees redundant and replace them with NEP workers? Please clarify.
That N E P is more stress,my friend had so much problems to get her salary.
Oh Please your friend is the ONLY EXCEPTION in the PROGRAMME
Nep=national employment propoganda,to keep the poor @ a rate with no future and keep them in poverty.sad program i feel for the poor that dont know any better.skerrit continue the bondage.
that is so true, if the poor cannot understand that then, they will remain poor for life.
N. E. P.
Never Ending Poverty
Dominica is just Talk and no action. Look at what is being done to the Public Workers and even sent some home. Not in any other country. See what is happening in Barbados today. Barbadians were told today to brace for a possible shutdown of the country, which could come as early as next week, as the National Union of Public Workers (NUPW) steps up pressure on the Barbados Investment and Industrial Corporation (BIDC) to rescind termination letters it issued last week that forced 13 employees over the age of 60 into retirement.
A tough-talking acting General Secretary Roslyn Smith issued a clear warning this afternoon that the NUPW will embark on “serious” industrial action if the statutory corporation did not withdraw the termination letters by next Tuesday
WAKE UP DPSU
Bajans are educated.
Ask mr. Letang if he is driving a duty free vehicle and yuo’ll know the answer.
Its very sad. we Dominicans should by now relalize that our country is control by the divel we are just a fail state. if someone can show me in what sector that we are doing good i will change my words. this country is going to hell in a hand basket with our leaders in the front seat and the holy one in the back seat just saying to the people that the savior will not come again he is my driver in the front seat.
shame on us
“there are monies in the Ministry of Public Works…” so why weren’t the Public Works staff paid and paid on time for the last few months.
I suspect the recent release of these 20 or so public works staff was to recoup that money to fund this NEP arm.
These guys are the best
I know for such of a couple of people under the NEP program, who was thanked for their tiime under the NEP, received letters of discontinuation and was sent home. Their contracts were not renewed; eventhough, their job reviews were very good. Plus, the institutions where they were at couldn’t absorb them as the gov’t hoped due to the flat economy. So, Mr. Skerrit isn’t the program dying? How many people will be sent home after the ‘review’? I think if the program had remained as intended and vote-buying hadn’t overtaken it, perhaps, the program would not be in such an ailing state.
Ou pas las Marti! Why are you hidding the salty hanky and the cartoon of Trinidad blue waters? You sound like superintendent of racketeer engineering and the embezelment of funds. Just like your oversized gov’t, Your coffin will be oversized from lies, corruption, fraud, bobbols, coverups, criminal activities and the barking side of tony a.
Lets talk about paying all those colleges and universities worldwide that the Dominican Government is owing, and stop wasting money skerrit. Stop watering stones they wont grow!
Excuse me. Watering Stones? I happen to be employed because of the NEP and I assure you, I am no stone. It is the responsibility of any country’s government to assist all citizens where possible.The majority of us now employed by the NEP are well educated, talented and youthful. We are not beggars. All we want is the opportunity to provide for ourselves, our families and contribute to our communities. We are everywhere and you would be surprised to know who from the NEP is serving you.
shut mur big mouth stupid
I think watering stones is used as a figure of speech for “investments that wont mature/ benefit the country”
I just have to SMH on the amount of assness that them fellas indulge in and the mismanagement of the tax resources of the country. Skeritt stop wasting the money on NEP and use the scarce resources of the state to provide the roads to the farms so that the farmers can produce. You and your cabinet are either really dumb or you all are just wicked. why are you all mismanaging the resources of the state in this manner and letting the productive sector suffer whilst you all continue to play politics.
Is the same …. you all doing, labour party promise tablet during elections and you all are going to use the tax resources of the state to buy these, is this the most efficient use of the countries resources? you all are just a disgrace you all need to do better than that in managing the resources for the country and stop playing politics whilst allyou killing the country. DUMB SET OF POLITICIANS
A fantastic job on advising us on a reviewed NEP,”
All you ooooy I must laugh wii.y belly even hurting me wii. DNO no name ok – but papa bondieur thee man father die and leave some businesses bank take all of it except one that was rescued by the blues people. Me papa, I doh want no drunken dead bit to give me advise on job creation nuh when the drunken master cyan even hold on to a business his papa left.Mwem papa keep your advise and talk to the Zaeed ,glass and bottle instead.
Did somebody say it is Parry
I say no
Then whoo
Tu Ju su!!!!!
next clue
We shall not be
We shall not be su
we shall not be
we shall not be booze
just like rum
that keep the people dumb
we shall not be su
We must always speak the truth and not mislead others.
If the bank took the business, it appears that the man who owned the business and died owed the bank. This should be expected unless the beneficiary could repay the bank or make arrangements for payment. This is how financial enterprises operate. They will not lose and will never be the losers. They could also sell the property at a higher cost.
Okay Roosevelt, this time I give you an A because you utilized the word review appropriately this time, for indeed you can review the program which already exists!
I only hope that in your analysis you will realized that paying someone to go to stand in a rum shop, and watch someone pours rum white rum in a glass, and someone guzzle it down is not by any chance a form of internship!
If we the people of Dominica can for one day, just for a moment look deep into our heart and conscience, forget about Red and Blue, Skerrit and Linton, forget about everything political and look at things from purely an economical standpoint.
Look at your own standard of living, look at your neighbours standard of living, look at Roseau, look at Portsmouth, look at our schools, look at our public workers, look at your disposable income. I would like you to ask your this, Has there been any significant increase in the quality of life for the past 10 years, do I have more money to spend than I had 10 years ago, can I change jobs freely if I wanted to? These are just some of the questions that we need to ask ourselves.
There is no doubt about it that there are some people who are doing very well and have gotten more wealthy but for the ordinary civil servant or ordinary farmer or carpenter, are you really doing anywhere near as well. Be honest to yourself before you pledge allegience
So who are you blaming for that? I suspect you insinuated that the government is to be blamed. This is not fair.
We reside in an expensive era. Everything has increased. As the years progress it will continue to increase. In bygone years there were no TV (today, flat screen TV), computer system, Internet, cellular, blackberry and other technology. Everyone wants them. I do not blame them keeping up with this era of technology.
The cost of services is increasing annually. Nevertheless, it costs extra money to own them. You should know that technology is constantly upgraded.
Note Microsoft has upgraded its system to XP 8 or XP 10. I have been informed from a good source that every five years there will be an upgrade. This is less than 10 years! After purchasing a computer system for some hundreds of dollars, Microsoft requires us to upgrade to another system.
Dollar for dollar, the cost is higher in Dominica.
Not only Microsoft but other technology enterprises. This trend will continue as long as we live and we purchase them. They try to make our life easier but at what cost.
Consider the monthly service cost for telephone, computer, TV and other technology. These take a good chunk of our income. So, we either have them or do without them. Can we in this era?
In addition, the cost of utility services, food, clothing, other incidentals and the cost of purchasing a house and a vehicle. Granted, not everyone has the latter two but they do cost extra money. Consider too, the interest cost of borrowing money.
Material and labor have increased. You must weigh all these matters out prior to blaming the government.
Is this not a coincidence that, today, during a relevant conversation, I told someone technology has made us poorer; that and other high cost of general purchases. Think about that. Broadmindedness is necessary.
NEP – Next election Ploy
So you are again using that name?
For those of us who voted this government devoid of strategies to stimulate the economy with anything never mind jobs, must surely be regretting it right now. How can a student now leaving the DSC harbour any optimism when they face an MEP which will employ to clean the roads of this country?
This will in no way help the economy for the simple reason
1)The MEP workers will not be paying enough Taxes to boost the Dominican Treasury
2) How does one convert translate the experience of cleaning roadsides to lets say working in a corporate environment.
I cannot understand how some Dominicans can accept such mediocrity in a government that have been tasked to serve the people. We must hold those in public office a lot more accountable, we must demand more not just for us, but for our children and our grand children and the ones who are yet to be born. This should never be about politics but about a better quality of life for the people of Dominica.
” We must HOLD those in public office” Trevor Bro the people cyan HOLD sheet crap when the government keep breaking their hands so they have to keep begging. A broken hand is meant to stay in what we call a cast
U all don’t take time to read! Just run all u mouth straight! the Community Enhancement Arm , like he stated is a part of the NEP .
I just realized it more difficult to keep with what Skerrit is doing in a population of 65,000 people than what Obama is doing in a population of 320Million people.
Our PM Fou!!!!!
So you using the TAXPAYER monies to fund the NEP program and increase the size of the GOVT work force. That is never sustainable!!!!! That is consider misappropriation of the taxpayers money to fund a labor party work program.
Did you not say you were receiving monies from Venezuela to fund the program(NEP) Mr. Skerrit???
Lies and more lies!!!!!
Real, sorry I meant yo give you thumbs up
How many Dominicans pay taxes, income and property tax?
How many still owe the government months of back taxes?
How much tax do you pay?
You begrudge the government of this NEP program which assists the unemployed? Then you complain and state there are no jobs? As a national, you should be ashamed of yourself.
Watch your words. I am informing you, one day you will be punished for them.
How can people pay tax that have no income? Explain that to me clever Facts!
It doh have work, all u complaining. Provide work is problem. Whether is tax payers money, your mother money or perhaps your bopeh….it is going into good use. to provide employment which is what you all have been crying about! jeeeeeez!!!!!!!
So there is a community enhancement arm of the NEP and Salisbury people have to take cutlass to clear their roads or else expired tear gas and M-16 in their A****. Weh papa all u look pawol pan chu yo wii.
Let him keep talking the more he talk is the more he get exposed
Now note that there are NEP grass cutters in the east of the island that have not been paid for 3 months.
You are at it again and using the same name.
DNO, could you please do something about that?
Do you have a monopoly on facts???
Once again, a duplicitous statement: “There are monies in the Ministry of Public Works…..”
Then why, oh why mr. Skerrit were 20 employees of the Public Works Corporation, owned by the government and under the direct control of this Ministry, giving their, marching order last week, not to mention the regular late payments of wages before, then? It just does not make sense. How can you promote and finance NEP and not keep PWC workers on the payroll when the money comes from the same source? I can only shake my head in disbelief. Malgraysa.
How else can this corrupt regime create employment? Do we have anyone with brains to think in this DLP? Surely not! Team Dominica promised, and would deliver 5000 jobs to the poor unemployed in this failed state, but an election without VOTER ID CARD, and a multitude of overseas voters, stole the dream of the unemployed on island..Presently, our economy is teetering on the brink of collapse.Passport vendors are the ones who will eventually survive. THIS REGIME IS EVIL AND MORALLY AND INTELLECTUALLY BANKRUPT!
Why are our people so stupid. It is clear by my posting here that I no longer think Skeritt is helping Dominica and I am not looking for negative things. However every time the PM speaks I am wondering who has more issues , the PM or Dominicans. I thought the goal of NEP was to partner with the private sector so NEP participants would get permanent private sector jobs. At this point I would love to hear the PM say this; to date 750 person have participated in NEP and 75% of them are now permanently employed and contributing to the NEP fund. As a result we are increasing the number of NEP participants to 1000. That would be a success story. Where is the stats and evidence to show program is successful? I just cannot understand the level of logic and critical thinking. This is a man who taught me in 2nd and 3rd form in high school. It was a badly conceived and implemented overnight idea. Ian is another retarded. Smell mis-appropriation of state funds? People need to wake up.
Private sector create employment not Govt the bigger de
Govt bigger the spending did skerrit do economics 101
Wait…hold up….you guys OWE $700K to PWC workers, but you are telling us “here are monies in the Ministry of Public Works”.
LOL…then say you are not inciting violence…
i was thinking the same thing. Skerrit send SSU to intimidate the PWC workers for demonstrating for their salaries but now he annouces he has money in the Ministry of Public Works for something else. what evilness. When you gain power or anything by evil – you have to do more evil to keep it
come on now –
Promises with no action, fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me, how many times do you want me to be shame?, I give up.