Just days after the Duke of Edinburg’s funeral and burial, the Prince of Wales, His Royal Highness Prince Charles, on Friday, April 23, chaired a virtual round table meeting focusing on: ‘Accelerating Economic Recovery and
Sustainable Markets,’ among Small Islands States (SIDs), in response to disasters and global crisis.
Dominica’s Prime Minister, Hon. Roosevelt Skerrit joined other CARICOM Heads to discuss specific ways that the Commonwealth could demonstrate its unity, high ambition and solutions-orientation to protect the environment, and to identify outstanding barriers and the actions required to unlock acceleration in areas of risk capital, incentives,
concessional and blended financing among other areas post disasters.
Presenting on the topic: “Accelerating a sustainable Transition Across the Decade,” Prime Minister Skerrit told the meeting that: “Rebuilding after each disaster requires significant financial resources. While we thank partners like the United Kingdom who provide support after various events, inevitably our Governments have to borrow, to begin the rebuilding process.
Building back better after each event increases our debt burden, which can lead to an unsustainable debt situation. We have committed as a country, and as CARICOM, to becoming climate resilient. In order for us to do so, access to Climate Change finance and affordable finance, in a timely manner, is critical for SIDs, that are frequently and
severely affected by Climate Change.”
His Royal Highness Prince Charles recalled his visit to Dominica post Hurricane Maria and congratulated Prime Minister Skerrit on the island’s impressive recovery to date, in especially the Agriculture, Tourism and Services sectors. The Prince of Wales, “An Efficient Service, A Sustainable Future” recommitted the Commonwealth’s support to the region and pledged his commitment ahead of COP-26.
The round-table also provided a unique opportunity for Prime Minister Skerrit to provide an update of Dominica’s COVID-19 response. He told the meeting, that Dominica had managed to keep infection rate from COVID-19 at about 2 percent of the population and that so far, have recorded zero deaths, with no community spread since November 2020.
Resilience, Seizing a Green Recovery, Joint-action and opportunities in the lead up to COP 26, were the other topics discussed by Heads of Government.
Prince Charles should also have asked Skerrit what has happened to the funds for the rehabilitation of the Loubiere to Bagatelle road. There has been no movement that is visible to a casual observer on that project. Just like the forgotten East Coast road rehabilitation that was supposed to be funded by the funds diverted from the “small business” loan money after Maria. No rehabilitation on either roads. Where did the money go?