Minister for Tourism Robert Tonge has announced a 100% increase in the government’s contribution towards events and activities during the carnival season.
He was speaking at the Opening of Carnival ceremony at the Eddie Andre Carnival City in Pottersville Saturday afternoon.
An increased subvention to Mas Domnik 2017 from $360,000 to $720,000 has, according to Tonge, represented a “significant increase.”
“This represents a one hundred percent increase of the subventions for carnival. We realise the need to promote carnical to our diaspora and others accross the caribbean and on the international market, as well as to imporve on the various aspects of this project,” he said.
He said that government’s t subventions will ” do just that.”
“This will result in better quality shows, pageants, and promotions, greater support for carnival in the various communities and a more enjoyable and fun dilled event,” he said.
He noted that the significant increase was made possible through the Citizenship By Investment (CBI) program.
The ministerer discarded the notion that funds deposited into Government’s account “has been returned to a sender” saying that it is “totally unfair and untrue,” and has affirmed that only funds that are ” on hold” can be returned to a sender.
“Contrary to what others may want you to believe, our program is one of the best run in the Caribbean. We are the only country in the Caribbean that has published detailed numbers in parliarment, on the media, in terms of how the funds are being spent and what remains in the bank,” Tonge remarked.
That’s a start.. Bring out the CBI money wherever you all hiding it. It seems like every day in Dominica The government is suddenly finding monies under this CBI programs for going ons in the country.
But Mr PM let me give you some advise, it is to little to late, there is no way you can spend, give or even throw away all of Dominica money …… The world’s eye is on you and trust me they watching all your moves.
Instead of you using the monies for the good of the country, job creation, state of the art education system, health care, Proper air and sea access, proper infrastructure, out of school activities to keep the kids informed and out of trouble and so on, you are spending it on sewo and alcohol where the people will remain in a state false euphoria. Where they will be seeing you as some sort of leader
All I can do is SMH. SHAME ON YOU MR PM
Boy it’s only a matter of time..the Gov’t just keeps raising more and more suspicion with their sudden increase in spending..The investigation will demand a proper explanation for this period of significant and unusual spike in expenditure, quite possibly further incriminating themselves..
I would also rope in the Financial Secretary and the Accountant general to answer these questions..these positions continually relinquish their responsibilities to the Politicians whose sole purpose is to stay in power..they’re not interested in keeping to a structured plan for development of country..they spend to sway minds and secure votes. Countries who VOTE for plans develop, while those who PLAN for votes remain underdeveloped…See St. Lucia, Grenada, St.Kitts, the people hold their gov’ts responsible and they make progress..Dominicans content to dream..
Keep your followers drunk distracted lol
I am guessing carnival is one of our top priorities. Let’s see what impact all that money will have.
mental bribery!
wayyyyy papa…. so you mean to tell me Lobourites are not rational thinkers to see something isn’t at all right.
Come on, doesn’t it look like Skerrit is suddenly finding all ways possible to spend as much of the CBI money and spend it as quickly as possible????? I wonder WHY?????? Something is just so fishy….for a programme that has been in existent for years and only now we seeing CBI money spending like wild fire.
SOMETHING IS RIPE AND READ TO BURST!!!!!
Yet still public works cannot get paid eh. Spend money on seewo. keep domincans drunk and distracted the saquay sot and dem. i agree with you. when they drunk they will defend you and support your nonsense.
CBI mas 2017….. 100% increase because Mr Val quit?
Bondie look mashee weeee. Don’t you all think that this is a smoke screen to forget about the CBI bachanal. Labour want the whole of Dominca to forget but Mr Tongue, we eating the money, drinking the rum, taking what you all give but is pressure on all you for the passports en. Save the money for the commission of enquiry. Am very sure Mr Skerritt is the one who approved that big money for mas Dominique but don’t worry the rich go get richer. Later go be greater. CBI Mas… Calypso show CBI, Queen show CBI, Junior monarch CBI, lapokabwet CBI, new kid on the block CBI.
all of a sudden money flowing from the skerrit deeeeeeeeeep looooooog pocket…. time will tell
and so the parade was?
Yup sewo hard and stay hungry
Desperation by government. Keep the people sweet with freenetertainment to keep their minds from the real issues.
Well, I guess “doubling” the government’s subvention from $360,000 to $720,000 for Carnival 2017, is indeed “a significant increase”. Guess not an “insignificant increase”! What? And what was the “significant increase” spent on?
Carnival Parade on Saturday was great. But I never heard from any diaspora friends in London or anywhere else, saying that they heard or saw any new promotions for Carnival.
While I applaud the efforts, where are the results?
“An increased subvention to Mas Domnik 2017 from $360,000 to $720,000 has, according to Tonge, represented a “significant increase.”(Tongue)
What is so significant about that ?
Private individuals, and prosperous, industries in the country are supposed to be sponsors of Carnival and sporting events; through which they advertise their business. Since there are no industries in the country, and lack of prosperous private individuals; considering that only the Government and Skerrit are loaded, they are the only ones who can sustain sponsorship.
More than thirty million dollars can be spent to bribe people to vote, and millions has been given to colleagues to build hotels: seven hundred ($720, 000.00) twenty, dollars is peanut change you are talking about boy.
Francisco 90% of the time your comments are so bias. I have one question for you.
Can you recall a year when our carnival wasn’t financially supported by the government of the day?
Yes, I do remember in the late 1950’s and into the 1970’s when business were the main sponsor of carnival activities! And everything went smoothly.
The fact is Dominicans seems to be poorer these days, as there are no jobs. Even in the in the 1950’s there were lots of Estates and private citizens involved in agriculture, which provided plenty of employment for people. Limes, Grapefruits Bananas cacao (Chocolate) bean, Vanilla, and other spices were shipped Britain: Bay Oil was shipped to the United States.
Coconut (caupra) was shipped to Barbados where it was turned into soap. I do not want to be a history teacher, sufficient to say citizens of Dominica did not depend on government for their survival! I am not proclaiming that Dominicans should return to the agricultural age; because we are now in the industrial age; yet Dominica lacks any modern industry!
We only need agriculture to maintain our daily staples; agriculture shall never return to the days of the 1950’s!