Minister for the Environment, Climate Resilience, Disaster Management and Urban Renewal, Joseph Isaac, has made a forceful call for Dominicans who are caught littering to face the full brunt of the law.
Isaac, who is also the MP for the Roseau Central constituency, spoke at Market Day with a Difference on Saturday.
“I’m taking this thing passionately because I have first hand experience where our own citizens are littering our country; our own citizens are doing things which are not the best approach to ensuring that the environment is kept safe and clean,” asserted the man with ministerial responsibility for the environment.
He made an impassioned plea to the police to play their part.
“So, I’m calling on the Commissioner of Police. Forget politics; forget it. Let us focus on the development of our country,” he urged. “If we could do only one thing after the recovery process, after Hurricane Maria and Tropical Storm Erika, is to ensure that our country is clean for our sake, not just for tourists.”
Littering has been a longstanding challenge for the relevant authorities in Dominica.
Mayor of the City of Roseau, Irene John, said in March, 2015 said that the City Council was contemplating installing cameras in the capital as a deterrent to littering.
Mayor John said then, she believes that the issue is more about the behavior of citizens who are not adhering to the Litter Act than the limitations of her Council.
Then in August this year, Minister for Tourism and Culture, Robert Tonge, stressing the importance of caring for the environment and the proper disposal of garbage, declared the government’s intention to begin empowering wardens to charge people for littering.
Some weeks later in September, the Ministry of Environment, Climate Resilience and Urban Renewal, through the Dominica Solid Waste Management Corporation, announced it was inviting applications for litter wardens who will be empowered to “issue written notices or tickets of violation to offenders.”
However, questions still remain as to whether the current Litter Act which was last amended in 1991, is adequate to effectively address the challenges which the country faces from persistent and indiscriminate littering.
Sweet mickey, the main litter bug, did you put him on notice too? remember he is DR Skeritt’s friend.
So Mickey littered more than ASA? Asa even had Collin Piper littering on stage. Free up Sweet Mickey, dont have yourself.
This is so true. Dominicans to nasty……. stop the littering. Help keep your country clean…..
Here who is talking about Littering. hahahahaaha Joseph don’t let me give your history about your squats
nightly o the wall by Golden loaf bakery in the 70’s & 80’s.
Did you grow up with in door plumbing?
Give us a break.
That is not the issue. I have seen plenty Dominicans throw things anywhere, from KFC boxes, tissue paper, paper cups, chicken bones anywhere. These things are also thrown by passengers from buses.
One of the places are on beaches especially after picnics.
That’s not the point… Ignore the messanger, hid the message! IF I WAS SKERRIT I’D BE LOCKING UP PLENTY DUMBNICANS FOR THAT
Isaac you are as dumb as the look on your face. Keep talking.
Every time hypocritical and opportunistic Joseph Isaac opens his mouth is an attempt to become relevant. I stop taking this phony individual seriously. You cannot just legislate behavioral change, there has to be a combination of re-education, stiffer penalties and consistency in enforcing the litter laws. Educate the entire population about the deleterious effects of wanton littering. Have jingles played daily on the local radio stations and television. Use social media, posters, sign boards to get out the message. Have talks in schools, with youth groups, parent associations and the entire civil society. Go and have competitions, the cleanest or most beautiful community. Threatening people to conform to litter laws is easy and don’t usually work as fear only last for a brief time. Educate people, let them internalize the harmful effects of littering on the environment and human lives. Fear lasts but for a short moment, knowledge and respect forever.
Are we that retarded Ibo France? Why not open a school for environmental sensitivity to learn where to dump trash?
Yes sir, I think it is high time we all take responsibility for our country’s wellbeing. We need to take it pass a political responsibility, a job description or a forced agenda and turn it into an individual, personal responsibility. Dominica belongs to Dominicans if we succeed, she succeeds and if she succeeds, we succeed. The same we say if she fails we all fail, if we fail she fails.
Turning Dominica into the clean, green and pristine haven that she is meant to be. She is such a beautiful place to litter her with waste. Keeping her a natural glory is a joint effort by all.
“The same we say if she fails we all fail, if we fail she fails…” CarltyMas, we have already failed, big time. Don`t you see what Roseau Looks it in 2018? This Skerrit and his failed corrupt Labour government are big Jokers, incompetent, waste to time, idiotic behaviour in office and has reduced our people to beggars, handouts distributed to people all over. CarltyMas, tell us or tell and ask Skerrit and his corrupt incompetent government where is the development in Domininca taking place? What is happening in the line of jobs, engagement , occupation, for our struggling parents who needs jobs and also their children and families. We know of the corruption and where as relates to the Bin Bobol and the Fertilizer Bobol. This is thievery that we need answers. There is no socio-economic development taking place in our struggling Domininca. Skerrit is a failed leader and Prime (Odd) Minister. No more bananas, provisions, soaps, just our passports and not accounted for. Skerrit must Go
Here he comes again, singing their rehearsed hymn. Cannot come up with his own ideas. All you can comment are the views expressed on q95 and by the opposition.
Are you really looking at Dominica and claiming that there is no socioeconomic development? Not even in education or infrastructural development?
I try to understand you all but my efforts are futile.
Where the hell is the Mayor and the Roseau City Council? They are the ones who are the principle Local Authority for the City of Roseau and this is their principle role and responsibility to keep the city clean, not Issac nor is it failed Skerrit or this corrupt Labour Government. Too much damn interference in local government work all over the island, that is the Roseau City Council, The Portsmouth Town Council, The Carib Council, The Urban Council and the many Village Councils. They have been nullified for years and have been forced not to function as a Local authority. This move by Joseph Issac and his inept PM is ignoramus and obviously illiterate to the roles and functions of the various Local Authorities around the island.
Too much nonsense, Bobolistic intervention by this corrupt Labour regime and Joseph Issac found hmself deep in the middle of it with him in the spotlight for obvious reasons. Don`t ask me why , go ask Supremo Skerrit, he is the mis-management sitting PM.
You are right. Fire that major of Roseau I say. She is only there for decoration and a reserved parking space. Waste of money that position. What does she do form her money.
Sir, if Dominica is a mess then Dominicans have failed Dominicans. One’s disdain for a government does not exclude him from giving a hand to developing the country. In all that you are saying, do you mean to tell me that because of the alleged speculations, persons should go around throwing garbage all over the place or not dispose of garbage effectively? I’ve heard the management of DSWMC on numerous occasions giving garbage disposal tips. I am confused.
I am waiting patiently to see them prosecute the Chinese merchants who own Roseau now and who are responsible for littering the street corners with no regard for our Laws.
Why should they Larry? There is no fear of prosecution. They just follow the example of our leader with regard to following the law. What do you expect?
Those merchants pour their dirty water in our roadside culverts/drains
I walked by a store and they threw out their mop water into the street!
In the Lord’s year of 2018 you’d think the Gov’t would crack down on this behavior
Waste disposal arrangements at the stadium at the World Creole Music Festival was hopeless and not to mention the toilet facilities. Joseph Isaac you have a big job to do but the people that are paying you don’t care themselves. That is a bad advertising for us.
Isaac please,the labour supporters will no be so please stop the bull.
We deal with this BS statement of Issac. The biggest loitering and dumping of garbage rests within your company Issac. The corruption, Bobol, abuse of states resources which has polluted our nature island. Some people in government will say anything to appease their failed, corrupt Skerrit because we “need that job”. In UWP you told them off, now it`s a new tune rubbish singing
“Minister for the Environment, Joseph Isaac, made a forceful call for Dominicans in particular the dirty Labour government caught littering must face the full brunt of the law.” Yes, the law, re the bobol, abuse of the poor thru Red Clinic. Issac, clean up your Skerrit corrupt backyard first, to face the law. Stop singing for your dirty supper.
“I’m taking this thing passionately because I have first hand experience where our own corrupt govt littering our country; our own labour government doing things which are not the best approach ensuring that the environment is kept safe and clean” Thats where we…
Roseau stinks. So many years now I see big road signs sayin $5000 fine for dumping but I never hear of any prosecution or fine. Dominica is a lawless land. Welcome home for independence. And make sure you don’t fall ill.
The people who litter should be made to pick up all the trash and garbage all over the island for a year with no pay, starting in Roseau. They will have plenty of help. They should be made to work every day except Sunday. Make the guilty ones pick up the garbage.
I gave you a thumbs up for your name!
Well done
What methods or initiatives are being enacted by the government in Dominican communities (not just Roseau) to assist and encourage the people in discarding their garbage in a more responsible manner?
Answer: Not a Damn thing!
Identify one place outside of the Roseau garbage dump where I myself can dump my garbage in the event that the garbage truck does not show up for several days????!! That in itself is a problem.
We need to have some town hall meetings so we can pool our ideas and see what the REAL issue is and how it can be resolved. I fail to believe that Dominicans are just a wild set of nasty littering scamps.
I think things were better when we had those skips. At least people had somewhere to deposit their garbage in a dedicated spot and solid waste had less work collecting it. Yes, they smelled and were a paradise for flies but we did not have our garbage all over the place like we have today. Whatever happened to the bins the government bought at great expense?
Non sense article, I witness a … uhum… “homeless and probably mentally challenged individual” emptying the bins on bayfront looking for food, then dogs coming and spread them around.
What about this?
y’ll just say things that sound good.
Issac is just attempting to show and prove to Skerrit that he is working, doing something nice to appease his failed hopeless Skerrit. What on earth that a failed MP who ran away from a prominent leader and credible UWP party locked into a corrupt labour group and now want to threaten innocent people who has no jobs about rubbish dumping, when this rubbish of our country that stinks all over Domininca comes from the corrupt bobol labour government. Issac Knows that and is caught in this political web and Labour/Skerrit mess and they left it to him to clean up. Can you imagine where you have been dumped,to harass the same people you had as MP to charge them under the law for loitering, when the real states loitering is happening upstairs where you are? Issac, Skerrit, go clean all you dirty labour political corrupt backyard first before you come to harass me and my family, friends and colleagues.
Guy shut up they should pile you in the garbage and dispose of you on a trash heap!
Where do you expect people to dispose of the trash when there are no trash disposables around the city and villages where bits of trash can be dropped into rather than on the streets. You ca only talk that crap if there were trash bins placed in certain places which could be utilized.
When Roosevelt tag along with you to Canada, if your were not too excited like a chicken which lay its first egg, you might have seen trash bins in certain place where if you eat a candy, you can dispose of the rapper in the trash bags located in the garbage disposal made of solid concrete.
Hence, the wind cannot blow them away, nor can they be vandalized easily: If Boss Crook Roosevelt brought you to America, if you looked carefully you may seen them also.
Shut up; Dominicans are not interested in your nonsensical crap; you are traitor!
In other words, all this talk about prosecuting to the full extent of the law, is just bluster. Lots of talk and no action. Typical of Skeritt’s administration.
You tell the police forget about politics. So why then did you cross the floor of the House and change your allegiance? was it for money only?
I saw Domlec littering and wrote to the management.
No reply.
They can’t afford to pay fines, not can Dominica afford to imprison them.
So, sentence them to cleanup labor.
Isaac you have joined a crew of people whose mantra is “cannot do”,so your call is already rejected.
You are however doing one thing that was already known by many Dominicans,and that is calling upon the COMMISSIONER of police to forget the politics!!!That’s not news to us,but again he will reject your call.
QUESTION:Austrie told us on Market day with a difference that we are consuming sub standard chicken and pork.Now you are telling us that the Commissioner of police must stop the politics
Did you and Austrie plan that? Politics and money make good/bad bed fellows. You must always visit the corner of Fields Lane and Independence Street,next to the coblers..Make sure you walk with your mask.Bad set of evil and wicked leaders you all are. It’s time to dump you all into political oblivion like we dump garbage.Sets of failures !!!!.You are worst than those you met in this cesspit of corruption!You are just trying to be relevant.
Skerrit Must Go
Skerrit Must Go
LAZY Skerrit…
Seems like there are several cabinets within the current DLP administration and when one speaks one has to even wonder which DLP cabinet he/ she representing, or if they just talking for talking sake as they usually do, knowing their much talking never yields any action. They all seem to be dealing with the same subject but on that one subject Skerrit says one thing, Robie says something different and new comer Isaac says something out of this world. For example DNO quoted Skerrit in December saying what would have happened in 2015/2016. Three years later nothing happened except more of the same old talk. In 2015, Robbie Tongue says boy the $5,000 fine is too harsh and we cant prosecute anyone on that because everybody knows everybody here. https://dominicanewsonline.com/news/homepage/news/general/tourism-minister-wants-garbage-disposal-fine-lowered/ . Then yesterday Isaac says boy if anyone is caught they going to “face the full brunt of the law.” Which law Isaac? The $5000 fine?
This is a weird, hopeless, incompetent corrupt labour government, Seems everyone in there are crying for their supper, seems the last supper is soon. 18 ministers in a failed Cabinet and these people are just unable to work out what is priority for Domininca`s development and where to start. Issac want to start with clean city, the rest just moving with the dirty stench of Roseau, no ideas, no clues, no focus. This failed funny looking waste of time Labour government must Go. They are wholly incompetent and useless and ignorant to the process of socio-economic development. It is a fast operation government we have in Domininca. The chef PM always prepares food to make obesity a reality.
Skerrit and his 18 workers to clean up Roseau now, must go. Waste of Country`s funds to have these 18 jokers as Mininisters.