Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit has said that the government hopes to access technical assistance from the World Bank in its plans to construct an international airport in Dominica.
“Clean and cheaper energy is also an important factor in our plans for an International Airport,” Skerrit stated during a recent signing ceremony between Dominica and the World Bank for the financing of the Geothermal Development Project.
He continued, “We are moving full steam ahead with these plans.”
The prime minister said the World Bank has had field missions here in Dominica in the hope of designing a project geared at improvement and resilience in air transportation.
“Central to this project we hope will be the possibility of accessing the technical capacity that government requires to manage, administer and implement the International Airport Project,” he stated.
He went on to say that the World Bank can provide access to that capacity and that his government was looking forward to engage this project in the very short term.
“In our discussion this morning [Friday may 3rd] that issue of air access was discussed with the World Bank and the World Bank has indicated their willingness to provide us with this technical advice, not only on the processes involved in the construction of the International Airport but addressing some observations at both the Douglas-Charles Airport and the Canefield Airport to allow us to be more technologically advanced,” Skerrit explained.
We can huff and puff and twist and turn with all kinds of words or statements, but one thing is clear: WE NEED THAT AIRPORT. We have two airstrips. Jamaica has 2 airports of international standards. We do not have an airport. We are 3 times the size of St.Kitts who jilted their airstrip since the 1970′ when they had one LIAT flight a day. They did not talk of air traffic or other delays. They knew it was the right decision. They recognized that it was an immediate need for many reasons.
The majority of Dominicans know and support the building of a state of the art airport, to rival all the airports in the Caribbean is a MUST HAVE. Many Dominicans all over the world see opportunities to make a good income as travel and promotion agents. Some are interested in the hotel business. Some farmers have already decided that tourist must eat so they will have an improved local market for their fish and food. Buses and taxis, well…….Entertainers ???? and the list goes on.
How ever you slice or dice this issue this airport is a must. There is no room for mistakes so the PM need all kinds of consultations. Like the energy issue he is on the right track.
Just an idea, with that airport I can charter two 747 jets with occupancy of about 300 each at peak travel periods like Mass and Creole festivals. Wow !
The people are really exasperated with Skerrit’s ghost promises especially about this long, elusive international airport. This one election gimmick is too stale be appetizing.
Who is going to watch the money? Large amounts of CASH have a habit of growing legs siphoned away by nefarious characters and deposited into their personal bank account. The CASH should not be under the sole control of the “minister of finance” yours truly.
Encore!!!
Man just shut the hole in your face now
Isn’t it a sin to lie?. Every year prior election prior to general election here in DA the Prime Minister promise an international airport . And of coarse the poto Laborites rejoiced. They then believed in the emperor’s new clothes. Wake up my people the P M .. is not il Papa, Vote this man out
Technical advice! I can give you technical advice – free of charge!
Davarin now at a 27 million house and a 30000 story for bringing down labour of leblanc PJ and OJ was the Mjnister who with Dkertit tg squandered the money and opportunity from Chavez and the Chinese on the Melville hall airport.
Time and opportunity was destroyed by the stupidity of then Minister Savarin of the Freedom Party masquerading as a labourite …..
Now we are hearing of a report from World Bank ..more funds for consultants !!!whilst we lost ROSS University brought in Dominica nica during the reign of PJ and OJ due to lack of an international airport
Shame on you Savarin and Skerritt .
After 20 years …u giys have the guts to try this bs after leaving land as purchased by government by UWP to be returned to owners and lands acquired by PJ and OJ at woodford hill for an Airport to be left out for squatters as well ..
Besides giving hand outs from monies which are from sources to be investigated to buy votes what really does this guys offer in infrastructure ?
Verify first then believe with anything emanating from the mouth of Skerrit. A few months ago he was to meet with some investors who were eager to do business on the RUSM’s compound. This was a loud announcement. Have you herd anything since? The man has a disease. He is a congenital, pathological liar. Post Maria, he assured Dominicans that investors are eager to flock Dominica. How many new investments have you seen? The combination of lies and corruption is sure to devastate the country.
This prime minister stay begging and relying on outsiders. I need to go find all the posts of donations made to Dominica after Maria. As small as Dominica is population wise, we should have money in reserve. The great thing about DA is that is nature based and nature has sure done her part in restoring what was loss. Dominicans need Government to do their part but it seem all they are doing is building homes for supporters. #Sad
I self dunno why allu people saying Skerrit must go
Go where then .
allu dow realize when he go in exile it will be much more difficult to recover anything ?
why allu want him to go ? he wants to stay and he knows why .
I self know he knows he is safest as Prime Minister .
if he is out of there, he is most likely to end up somewhere not so nice , he is smarter than all of you , so he stays within diplomatic immunity. you guys cannot touch him
Technical assistance?? From a bank??
Hallo Skerrit, if one wants technical assistance with the construction of an airport, surely one engage with an engineering company. If one requires help to finance an airport, one approaches a bank. So Skerrit, what is it to be? Was it just another blatant lie or don’t you have any money to construct an airport. I thought the finances for the airport were sorted out long ago. Didn’t you tell us about the agreements with some Chinese companies a couple of years ago?? Boy, it’s time for you to go! You don’t know if you are coming or going and you lost the plot completely. Do us all and yourself a favour and do the honourable thing! Do you know the meaning of honourable??????
Look out for many more of these electioneering happenings. Skerrit should step down as the Prime Minister of Dominica with immediate effect unless he can fully account for the PetroCaribe OVER EC $270 000 000 in debt forgiveness by the Venezuelan government. Where is this staggeringly enormous amount of the people’s money? This should clearly disqualify Mr. Skerrit from contesting the upcoming elections. This is boldfaced CORRUPTION! No wonder some of these people are do filthy rich and the masses so destitute. Anytime one sees Skerrit in public, he should be asked about the whereabouts of the missing EC $270 000 000+. How can any responsible citizen vote for this man and his political party before he accounts for this missing money? DNO, UWP, DFP, the unbiased local media houses, don’t let him get away , he has to account.
UWP promised an airport and took loan to start it and up to now it never start plus the labour party government is repaying the loan at an exorbitant interest rate so shut up and do the maths
Stupid; ignorant people brays like donkeys, on subjects they have no clue of what the are talking about!
If some of you would take time to get of off welfare system in Guadeloupe, and educate yourselves to what is happening in Dominica, and the seriousness of the damage the labor has done to the country you’d be better off!
Most of you would simply shut up, and be eager to get rid of Roosevelt.
More than twenty years ago the Government of Trinidad & Tobago loan the UWP government 80% the cost of an International Airport that was in the the phase of development; when Roosevelt Skerrit, a junior minister, along with the late Roosevelt Douglas, Athie Martin, the late Charles, Ian Douglas, and others shut ti down when they took power.
They said it was too expensive; Trinidad government had to take Labor to court to get them to give back the money.
You are another uneducated liar talking about what you do not know!
Why don’t you shut up?
Stupidman, so the Skerrit regime didn’t pay the 270million loan back to Venezuela because the previous government took out a loan for an airport. Man, do yourself a favour you had too much cheap rum and you are smoking something that does not agree with you.
You see “things” like you with no name; you will lie to the minute of your death; hence hell doors will not be so difficult for you to burst wide open!
You are an idiot who could not spell Sunshine; your slept it thus “sonshine” until I corrected you with the correct spelling.
I might be whatever you wish to call, nevertheless, I am not liar!
My name is Francisco Etienne-Dods Telemaque, grew up in Wesley, and called ‘Mama Son’ by my grandmother, the rest of the village called me Son.
Lies are not part of my agenda. I have nothing to gain by lying!
You are a notorious liar!
Edison James and his UWP never went to Venezuela and borrowed one dime to build International Airport!
The cost of the Airport was a little over $300,000,000.00 dollars, some say four hundred million!
What I do is that the arrangement was government of Trinidad loan Dominica 80% of that and they would construct the Airport.
You are liar!
Ibo France I have already commented once on this. Ibo what is debt forgiveness??? You guys like to comment on things which it seems you do not understand. I ask again what is debt forgiveness?? Well let me explain to you and many others who thinks that debt forgiveness involves handing over money. I will try very simple to explain. Debt forgiveness means what it says. You owe – you are forgiven. It is written off. This means that the debt no longer shows under your name and the Institution forgiving the debts takes it off their record (books) as a debt. You no longer owe… they no longer expect you to pay. Right you understand. In lay man terms you owe me Ibo and I forgive your debt so I say Ibo don’t worry you do not owe me again. So do you still expect me to forgive you and give you the same money you owe.
Really hope you get this right and educate others who think that money was exchanged. No money is missing garcon. Do not tell me that you cannot understand.
Debt forgiveness is not the point!! Skerrit and Austrie told the people of Dominica that the country doesn’t owe Venezuela any money. Why did Venezuela forgive a debt that did not exist in the first place according to your crimeminister?? You are just as full of manure as Skerrit and Austrie. Don’t worry as soon as we have a new government we will know where the money disappeared to. As we are on the subject, why does your crimeminister refuse to account for the CBI income?? Any idea? People that have nothing to hide can show their accounts anytime! Bearing in mind that the money doesn’t even belong to your crimeminister, why does he refuse to tell us?? He has a legal obligation to do so. Maybe his 2 diplomatic passports offer a clue in the matter?! Man, face it Skerrit is just a conman and serial liar! And that is what to try to defend with a long silly lecture?? Please…
Mr. Question Mark ,you are just a pathetic apologist for the most corrupt and abhorrent government in the entire Caribbean. Until the government can give a full account as to how this EC $ 270 000 000+ was used, the concern will not go away. People in Haiti rioted about the very exact corrupt situation. The government in Haiti cannot give an account of the millions in the PetroCaribe deal. Dominicans are too docile, much too laid back. Your attempt to explain away this gargantuan sum of money is both poignant and disquieting. It clearly reveals who you are, nothing but a shameless defender of one of the most fraudulent governments on this mundane sphere or you are monumentally ignorant.
IBO
what is wrong with you people with all that mouth allu have dere , ein ?
what are you prepared to do , you as an individual, to help bring justice to your fellow Dominicans .
what are you volunteering to do, you as a person , to stop all de corruption in Dominica .
these days I hear too much talk and talk and talk . I refuse to talk anymore . Dominicans seem to be happy with the handouts that they receive so why should I , me of all people, care about their, children , or the next generation , for that matter . let them die in their ignorance ; it’s a disease.
Amen.
People who have been reduced to pittance and begging to stay alive for so long are difficult to be persuaded and motivated to rise from this desperate state of squalor and hopelessness. We must not lose hope but try even try harder in bringing truth and light to these hapless people. Nothing good is ever easy. Getting Skerrit and his deplorables out of office is going to take the collective efforts of all Dominicans of good conscience everywhere. Surrendering is not an option. This is a battle of attrition, good must conquer evil.
What about Dominica to get a New Prime Minister and government? No more Crime Minister because we putting that out as soon as the date is an announced, though I suspect he is scared of announcing it and therefore he trying to create a crisis here to see if that will not prolong his stay. He even hoping and praying for another Maria like because remember the man is not concerned a bit about Dominica,. All he is concerned about is to stay in office by all means necessary to protect himself. But no matter what the EXIT sign is posted all over and nothing can stop him from going out.
Here we go again about this so-called International Airport promises. Every year for the past 19 years, he has been ringing the bells of trickery and lies. Unfortunately, there is a segment of the population that believes it.
Every election year we getting international airport. SMDH
Yeah, we should have 3 by now, not counting Canefield and Melville Hall.
I thought a team from America was already preparing the drawings for the airport. Everytime that airport getting a different story
Please read this over and over until you realise or understand that it is actually saying or offering nothing new. It is as if our PM has suddenly become this great comedian who is getting funnier and funnier with his election campaigning pronouncements!:
“In our discussion this morning [Friday may 3rd] that issue of air access was discussed with the World Bank and the World Bank has indicated their willingness to provide us with this technical advice, not only on the processes involved in the construction of the International Airport but addressing some observations at both the Douglas-Charles Airport and the Canefield Airport to allow us to be more technologically advanced,” Skerrit explained. ???
Having first left Dominica (at the age of 5) via ‘Big Ship’, I first time I flew back to Dominica (into Canefield, via Antigua) was at the age of 29.
And that was the first time I heard mention from one on my cousins about the discussions on building the international airport, which at the time I thought was a very good idea.
I was told a site had been identified. Monies had been put aside for levelling the terrain and constructing the necessary infrastructure.
I’m now 64 and still waiting for it to happen.
So this article mentioning ‘ technical assistance from the World Bank’ doesn’t actually say anything that makes me any more hopeful that the airport is going to get built any time soon.
I wish I could like this a thousand time. I am couple of decades younger but I have been hearing this practically my entire life. I remember right before I left Dominica as a teenager, a site was chosen by UWP I believe and one of the opposition party claimed a mountain was in the way Like Dominica didn’t have 4 sides to it. I also remember talk about international airport was always around election time. You can’t have an international airport without the underlying support structures. I don’t know like a fully staff and equipped medical facility, fire station, coast guard and search and rescue unit close by. This is not rocket science. And why is this man wanting to hold on to power so badly? 20 years is far too long for one person to be in power in a democratic country.
“Twenty years is far too long for one person to be in power in a democratic country.” This is such a true statement. It seems like this one man wants to rust in the top seat of government. No good leader would want to occupy that position for so long especially by the use of corrupt means. The current economic state of the country cries out for collectivism not individualism, selflessness not selfishness, cohesion not division, transparency not opaqueness, servant leadership not dictatorship, finally, humility not pomposity.
Roy Evans the talk of Interntional Airport only started in the 1990’s when Dominica was governed by the UWP. This is only about 25 years ago. So how comes you are 64 and you are not even talking of Melville Hall Airport which has served us well. You took 24 years to come back to Dominica then. Now according to your age, you have not returned to Dominica in 35 years. You were born in 1950.
I think you need to make a trip here so you can see first hand what is happening here for yourself and not from all the false stories spread overseas. I am inviting you to Dominica before the election is called. Please come visit.
then you will comment after. You remain in London, USA, Caribbean or wherever without visiting since you left at 5 years. You left in 1955, Came back in 1979. Probably you were not happy as this was the year of unrest May 1979, and the hurricane August 29th, 1979.
I appeal to you to come now to enjoy Dominica. Please do come. I am awaiting you. True!
??? What are you talking about? The Melissa-Roosevelt and pigs can fly airport?
The more desperate Skerrit gets, the more we will hear about the international airport again. Lies, nothing but lies. A few month back he told us they have started purchasing land. As I said at the time I know some land owners where they plan to built the new airport. Guess what, none of them has been approached let alone sold anything to the government.
The airport will be finish in the next nineteen years.
My teacher said to me , “If a man tell a lie, he’s going to hell as soon as he die”
LIES is written all over Skerit’s FACE n BEYOND.
skerrit you think world bank in your politics.go on every rope have an end. you talking no one is listening.well then again the majority of the voters is listening you but not reading about you that’s why you winning and that’s all what matters. Boy you not tired, as they say corruption is sweet until you get caught.
This has become annoying.Like seriously.Our collective tolerance knows no bounds. He who deludes others by degrees will soon delude himself.
He has long been deluded by himself.
Skerrit caused the EU to blacklist Dominica and he talking his nonsense about world Bank going to give technical assistance . Who Skerrit thinks he fooling? I didn’t hear him call the world Bank as one of his friends that Linton doesn’t know? So World Bank is Skerrit new friend then? Gaspn just agree you destroyed Dominica and peacefully take your bag and go so Dominica could get a chance to bounce back.
You see he is not wearing his ring in this picture! I know why, trouble in church yard. Wait for the rest of the story soon.
He has to leave Dominica soon, the pressure is on.
What ring? His nose ring?
First of all ,the World Bank is there to look into the allege illegal international activities that this cabal has been involved in. This guy is a known Con-man so he is using the presence of those people to spin what they are really here for and even stretching it to talk about airport in this time when elections are near.
If there are any true journalists in Dominica , they should go out there to ask the WB people about their true reason for being there.
Fool me once shame on you , but you won’t get the chance to fool me anymore.
Skerro its time to go!
It’s election time again. The World Bank already owns DA.
This is not what the WB agreed upon , they will never discuss anything that will interfere with local politics anywhere. So Skerro is a LIAR! . He is using the presence of the people to try to fool the unsuspecting Dominicans that it is because of him they are in Da and that he will get them to what we want to hear. My people of Dominica , we have heard these cock and bull stories for too long to allow it to take Con-Vince , Rayburn , Reggie or Scare-it serious. These guys are desperate.
Ah boy, again?!
l am baffled wasn’t the world bank with all its advisors there 5yrs,10, 15years ago…wow so now even world Bank involved in “hurry projects”
The world Bank should tell you that an international airport is right now a nonsense and you cannot afford it. Or you can crack the money right now and let the next 10 generation coming paying for it. Our traffic will be way too low to pay for yearly maintenance . Stop to lie to your people Bro.
More of the same rubbish surfaced in a June 4th, 2014 DNO article… more Lies again from this Gov’t. (Titled- Talks progressing on International airport- PM Skerrit)-
‘Prime Minister Skerrit added that the government will stick to the location once proposed by the Dominica Freedom Party for an international airport.
“We are looking at the original site of the Freedom party and that is based on professional, independent, technical advice,” he remarked. “It wasn’t based on a political decision, it was based on independent advice from people who are qualified in those areas.”
In 1989, the Dominica Freedom Party had a plan drawn for an international airport with alignment from Woodfordhill Bay to Bottom Wesley near Sophia Bay, in an area generally known as Crompton Point.’
This madness of Lying so blatantly at every General election will Not be accepted. Dominica has been disrespected by this Government for Too long.
Enough is enough!
Sounds great. All the best. Love my Dominica ❤
I guess you still innocent enough to believe in father Christmas and the tooth fairy. Bless you.
The most recent Airport Lie and fiasco -dated December 5th, 2013 from DNO article- (Gov’t makes moves towards construction of an international airport.)
Th