While welcoming what he describes as Prime Minister Skerrit’s “feeding off” the parliamentary opposition’s strategy to stimulate the Covid-impacted Dominican economy, Opposition Leader, Lennox Linton, is concerned about the funding for the prime minister’s measures to help citizens.
Skerrit announced during a press briefing held over the weekend, that his government had put certain measures in place to assist citizens who have been affected due to Covid-19. He said the funding for these measures would include $8 million approved from the Dominica Social Security to help people who would have lost their jobs, plus a minimum of 9.5 million dollars from the government in the first instance.
“The Prime Minister is now picking bits and pieces of this strategy and implementing them. Maybe they are not recognizable, you cannot see where they came from, but when we put our plan together and presented it, the Prime Minister had no plans.”Linton said in a statement on Monday.
The opposition United Workers Party (UWP), several weeks ago, made public, an economic stimulus package in which it recommended a number of measures for implementation by the government to assist Dominican citizens who are most vulnerable in light of the impact of COVID-19.
Some specific suggestions include an increase in minimum old-age pensions from three hundred dollars ($EC300) to five hundred dollars ($EC500) monthly, business development grants of up to fifty thousand dollars ($EC50,000) for manufacturing operations in the processing of local root crops, vegetables, fruits, herbs, spices, fish and meats, and livelihood stabilization grants of at least a thousand dollars ($EC1,000) monthly for vulnerable groups, for three months.
Other recommendations in the UWP package include employment income and business continuity support, the suspension of all consumer and small business credit payments, support for vulnerable groups (the homeless, single-parent households and people living with disabilities), food security and telecommunications.
“We are happy that he is feeding off the plan that the constructive parliamentary opposition delivered in the interest of the people of Dominica and is working on it,” Linton stated.
However, he said his party is concerned that rather than informing the public specifically where the money is going to come from, all the prime minister speaks about is an 8 million-dollar “raid” on social security at a time when he has under his private control, in excess of a billion dollars of public money.
The prime minister’s decision to use money from the Dominica Social Security has also been criticized by some members of the public.
Here is how he responded to that criticism on Kairi FM’s “Heng” programme on Tuesday morning.
“The DSS engaged the actuary who advised them and then they advised me that in these extraordinary times, it would be remiss of the Social Security Scheme of Dominica not to play a part by providing support to its membership,” the prime minister stated. ” …And even when the DSS wrote to me, before I gave my concurrence, my approval, to their recommendation, I told them ‘go and speak to the Employers Federation; go and speak to the private sector people and get their views and then get back to me. All of the private sector entities, including the Employers Federation, supported the recommendation.”
Skerrit also addressed the issue of possible court action against the decision.
“The opposition elements are free to go to court and challenge the Social Security,” he said. “That’s fine with me and what about those who are waiting to get some kind of income support and that is… the character of people who want to be in leadership of this country.
But Linton describes as unacceptable, the prime minister’s announcement concerning the mobilization of funds for the measures.
“He is talking about mobilization of funds; he is talking about funds from here and there, but nothing specific while Dominica has under his private control over 400 million dollars into the airport development account, over 1 billion dollars from the revenues of the Citizenship By Investment housing option from 2018/2019 and over 270 million dollars forgiven debts by Venezuela as far back as November of 2017,” Linton contended.
He said this amount over 1.8 billion dollars, “money belonging to the people of Dominica”, is needed, at this time, for the public purpose of relief, recovery and economic stimulation, among other things.
Skerrit has also indicated that for small businesses, the government is looking at the combination of some grants and loans that will assist those businesses to recover and to move forward.
He said his government is committed to paying full salaries at the end of the month, which he described as extraordinary in the circumstance, to public officers including the National Employment Programme (NEP) for example, most of whom he said, have not been engaged.
“The NEP alone is 3.8 million-dollars a month,” the prime minister revealed.
He said the government is also committed to ensure that the seniors’ allowances are paid and those who want public assistance will be given support.
Skerrit mentioned that the government is further fully committed to payments for Dominicans students overseas.
He said Tropical Storm Erika and Hurricane Maria, notwithstanding, with 90 percent of the economy impacted, as well as the GDP, the government has not defaulted on one debt payment.
This is so absurd coming from leader of opposition and I think it’s malicious. Knowing the man at the helm as you claim, you see a pattern here and you are exploiting it. You and I know darned well that he will not implement something if you try to one-up him even with the obvious. So he gets back at YOU by NOT doing it even if it makes lives miserable, he is already elected it doesn’t affect him. You’ve seen it happen when you brought up legalizing marijuana and tayloring it for business opportunity. He benched it. Now when so many are hurting for economic stimulus, he knows that, but you bring it up ahead of his foot dragging, you know he will ignore this very important assistance yet you are agitating knowing he will also trash it. And he did. Yes he did. All else around him are acting with stimulus packages for their people which goes right back into the economy anyway. Social security, we noticed, had to give him a nudge when they realized he is not acting. I blame you both.
DNO Admin I have a serious issue with your apparent preference in posting comments from certain contributors OTHER THAN myself and others who I have seen complain about the same fake I suffer. For example I sent in two contributions under this headliner only one was uploaded ., while other contributors under this same headliner have in some instances 8 and ten contributions uploaded. Why is this? THIS CERTAINLY IS NOT FAIR !!
ADMIN: CHILDISH, both of your previous posts were approved. If you still don’t see the post you were looking for you can always try resubmitting the comment.
Boy oh boy!
Mr. Skerrit is feeding off your plan and what if he did? Don’t you have a contribution to make? I guess you invented the words stimulus package and plans. The whole world is implementing a stimulus plan of some sort so your plan would hardly have been original. You have nothing to do but sit down, collect your taxpayers’ pay cheque and other invisible incomes and do and say things to score political points.
Well I am glad he did not feed off your plan to shut down the country from February before we had even had one case (and your attempts to incite violence as usual to force him to do so). If he had done that we would not be talking here about stimulus packages because that suggests something is alive to be stimulated, We would be talking about resurrection miracle packages because 90% of the country’s businesses would have been dead.
Sir, isn’t there a time when you can be a statesman and put our country and its people before your ego? This is a pandemic!
The Pandemic we have in our Government is the cause of all the irresponsible dirty glus we have o going in our Government and Dominica.
We need the right medicine to exposes and kill this deadly political clowns dirty behaviour of our Government and Dominica.
This failed Labour government we insist must get the hell out our Dominica.
We have had enough of this devious, illiterate in political Labour government do called ministers an one Off Minister.
We need to take our Dominica back from this fake irresponsible Skerrit and his useless failed incompetent failed Skerrit Labour government clowns.
Not sure why the issue of debt forgiveness ended in the discussion, I don’t like negative inputs. But the Bible explains that issue @Matthew 18: 21-39
(23) Jesus said, the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants.
(24) And when he had begun to settle accounts, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents.
(25) But as he was not able to pay, his master commanded that he be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and that payment is made.
(26) The servant, therefore, fell down before him, saying, ‘Master, have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’
(27) Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and “forgave” him the debt.
I cut it short to show the point: Nobody has money in their bank account in excess of what they owe, and to receive forgiveness for that amount. It was forgiven because the servant could not pay back what he owed.
You are entirely right Elisabeth, the servant could not pay back what he owed. That does not mean that he did not owe it in the first place, does it and if you substitute servant with government (=servant of the people) the position is the same but the question also remains, what happened to that money? It must have been there at one time. We generated it through our purchases of fuel, gas and electricity. Our Minister of Finance owes us a full explanation accounting for it. If he spent it he must give details of what he spent it on according to the constitution. Silence or refusal to do so only fuels suspicion of wrongdoing.
Some of you folks just don’t seem to understand debt forgiveness. You are asking what Skerrit did with the money that he did not have to pay back to Venezuela.
Venezuela did not give Dominica cash. Venezuela gave a product -gas, kerosene, etc. Dominica was supposed to pay Venezuela out of current expenditures/operating funds. If Venezuela forgave the debt, then all it took was a very simple reallocation of the operating fund (salaries, old-age payments, etc. There is no money to make bobol by debt forgiveness.
And you do not understand business my friend. The Venezuela state oil company PDVSA sold, not gave, fuel to the company in Dominica and is that company, controlled by Skerrit an Austrie that have to pay the bills. Straight commerce my friend and nothing to with current expenditure. You are not only jaded but dim also.
Jaded, whatever you say however you put it, this corrupted Labour government of Skerrit is fake, corrupted, immature, who lacks focus and abuse of our States financial resources.
As a civil servant I am sad and shamed to be in this Civil Service government with this immature Odd incompetent Skerrit.
This man has killed our government over the years and has shamed our Dominica and reduced our struggling people to beggars and fake loyalty.
Our people are jobless, our agriculture is dead, they killed our Banana industry and all this fake Skerrit does is travel uselessly all over, create the Bin Bobol, Fertilizer Bobol and reduced our suffering jobless people with Red Clinic quing up for handout cash. Skerrit has insulted the Welfare Division with he now asking parents etc to come up to his Red Clinic Bobol office for cash rather create jobs for them. Shameful, abusive Prime Odd Minister, reduced our to beggars. Our people need jobs and not condone Seerrit’s political deception. Get…
“From what I read the PM didn’t take it upon himself to go to SS. They approached and were asked to have some discussions with the relevant bodies, and these bodies would have had discussions with their people and all decided that this is what they want to do – to do their part in this crisis”.
@DA GIRL, I read that same thing in the news article and it sounds fear to me, so why do you have a negative thumbs rating at this time?
It is because these people want nothing to do with the truth and yet there is nothing spoken in their own interest that is “true”. All of it is misleading, exaggeration, or lies, the kinds of food that their mind desires to feed on.
I don’t think they ever read the “news article” or any comment that may present a truth; they are simply looking at the identity of the blogger to thumbs up or thumbs down–so must of with the truth are in the negative thumbs category–what a blank attitude from these individuals.
The Truth Be Told why are you so obsessed with branding people as hating, disliking, jealous of the PM because they are expressing skepticism about the use of social security funds especially against the background that the PM, and his government continue to tell us we are doing better than other islands, that we have millions in reserve, we were also told that the 2019-20 budget would have been 2.2 billion instead 1 billion if a housing component under CBI was included. We were also told about an airport development fund of millions and last but not least we just witness a very expensive multi-million dollar election campaign in December. Now the Truth be Told monies did not fall from the sky nor did it come from swinging a magic wand, right, however the money had to come from somewhere right. So simply put we are suggesting that instead of going to DSS lets get the funds from these alternative sources. Now by saying so I hope you don’t conclude that I hate or dislike anyone.
Ya’ll real ridiculous talking about stealing ideas. These measures are being implemented across the board, throughout the region and around the world, to suit each country’s economy and needs. So this crap about stealing ideas is so old and tired. Everybody wants stimulus package, and some rightly so, so Lennox is using that to play on the emotions of persons. All I hearing is cool out and stimulus, cool out and stimulus. Lennox I want to hear your comments on the management of COVID cases to date please. From what I read the PM didn’t take it upon himself to go to SS. They approached and were asked to have some discussions with the relevant bodies, and these bodies would have had discussions with their people and all decided that this is what they want to do – to do their part in this crisis.
So Lennox stop feeding on the emotions of people.
The thing about you foolish and that is putting it lightly workers followers Lennox Linton, knows you all are a bunch of plunkers and selfish just like him anything he says you idiots will run away with it. Make no mistake Prime minister Skerrit does not wake up in the middle of the night thinking of all the lies and crap Lennox Linton, and you guys have to say not one bit of it Mr Skerrit, is a highly qualified and intelligent person so he won’t be taking any notice of gutter rats such as Linton, Francisco, Ibo France, Viewsexpressed and the rest of jokers thinking that they can destabilize him and country make no mistake “Red meaning Power.”
DA Girl, open your eyes 😴 ears and brains and stop this bias fake deceptive behaviour of yours as it relates to your fake, immature, failed, childish Skerrit.
Dominica comes first and after 19 years our People are in deeper troubles because of your failed incompetent Questionable Skerrit an this is dirty, fraudulent Labour, deceptive, Bobol government.
We need answers for our Bin Bobol, Fertilizer Bobol, Red Clinic and the obvious immaturity and boyish, ignoramous of Dominicas Skerrit and his failed corrupted Labour government.
Get the hell out 😂 of our government
This Labour Failed government and Skerrit has failed our people and country. Deceptive, deception, and Bobol.
@maybe,That is so true but remember laziness leads to crime and all manner of Evil! Is either God was wrong in Gen 3:19
“By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground” or the bible we preach is nolonger correct. But I believe God is always right and the bible is always correct. I can’t believe men and women that claim to be servants of God and preachers of the bible are allowing Skerrit to violate the concept of the God in broad daylight without saying a thing! Since when a man is not allowed to work hard b to build a house for the woman he loves and marries and now has to depend on Skerrit to build a house for his wife or girlfriend? We now have fools like Linclown telling us that hard working Dominicans in the DIASPORA are jealous because in the US they under mortgage whereas in Dominica, a poor country Skerrit building free houses for people. But people make no mistake about it you cannot be blessed by violating the teachings of God.
@Bible, What’s it you saying linclown is wrong and you are right what are you a Jehovah Witness or something? Linclown has been and worked in America he knows what he is talking about yes some Dominicans have done well for themselves and I have seen some of them and their homes cockroaches big like rats and rats big like cats even the cats is afraid of the rats I say what boy I am going back to the UK and these are the wicked people that’s writing all their crap about Dominica and Dr Skerrit ha ha ha the joke is on you guys Linton, is so ashamed that he cannot bring himself to drive to Marigot to see the work hospital Labour government doing and giving his tribesmen in Marigot shame shame on you Linton having said that you could not even run a water tap for your supper.
@The Bible tells me so, I think you need to go to the Bible to read carefully what it is telling you, then come back and relate the message clearer than you have done above.
Everything this Skerrit led government does is polluted with gross incompetence, corruption and opaqueness. The Dominica Social Security intake from contributions of workers and employers have had a precipitous fall-off. This present assault on the SS funds can easily lead to insolvency of this vital institution in the not too distant future. Mr. Linton, nothing is wrong with the PM and his daft Cabinet colleagues borrowing good ideas from you and your party. They are clueless and need help but too arrogant to do so. The current regime has badly mismanaged the country’s financial resources. Skerrit knows nothing about economics nor financial matters. If Skerrit were put in charge of the Sahara Desert in a couple of years the desert would have completely deprived of sand.
Alibaba – I continue. Where u get that debt forgiveness involves giving back money to be even placed in a bank account.
You guys must get serious and understand things. I have time and time again said with illustrations that debt forgiveness does not involve an exchange of money. A debt is what u owe. When it is forgiven, you do not have to pay again what u owe. It is written off the books. The company , Bank etc, takes it off the books and it becomes an exoense to the forgiver. Hear u saying it is in some bank account. Hope u understand this debt forgiveness thing.
It’s you that hasn’t got a clue what you are on about. You just regurgitate Skerrits and Austries utterings in the hope that we will swallow it second time round. I will keep it simple: Venezuela supplied petrol and petroleum products to PetroCaribe Dominica (government owned controlled by Austrie) for payment in 3 month time. PetroCaribe sells the petrol to National Petroleum Dominica (government owned) and they then sell and distribute to the individual petrol stations on island with payment terms 14 days. They sell to the car owners for immediate payment. So, gas station has been paid and made a profit, National Petroleum has been paid and made a profit, PetroCaribe has been paid and made a profit… but PetroCaribe never paid the Government of Venezuela. Presumably they didn’t want to make to much noise and just write the debt off (approx. US$ 100 million according to them. Now that leaves the question where the 100 million are. Are they still in PetroCaribes bank account???
I fully understand your logic about debt forgiveness, but with reference to the Petro Caribe deal, the IMF recommended to all governments involved not to used all the money which was to be the debt to Venezuela on social programs as intended but to save or invest part of it inorder to service the debt when it was due. Therefore if the government of Dominica took that advice then the money should be somewhere. I attended a meeting with the IMF team during an IMF visit representing the Statistics office in the ministry of finance when the team asked us the statisticians how do we record the Petro Caribe transactions in our statistics. When we told them we had no data on the transactions, then they explain the entire deal to us and the advice they gave the Caribbean governments involved.
Stephen Nicholas
Former government statistician
Nicholas is there some in level of deception that we need to know?
We do not trust that failed Skerrit and incompetent failed Labour government. We need ban account of our States financial statements and failed Skerrit must answer to us, if not we will take an injunction against him to answer questions of our hard earned money.
We don’t trust that failed Skerrit who has failed our Dominica and our people suffering people trying hard to survive. We need Skerrit out of our government now. Get lost Skerrit, you are this failure and incompetent Skerrit needs to get lost out of our government now. Go away, you immature failed Skerrit.
Get out, Go away.
I don’t understand how a prime minister just cannot come clean on anything. How many lies does a man have to tell before you realise that mister trying to fool me man.
There is gonna be a revelation that is going to be undeniable and when that time comes there will be an uprising like no other.
How can a government collect so much money and have nothing to show for it. Except an empty hotel and a bunch of social programs. If that what people call being productive I just don’t know.
As usual the opposition leader is struggling to be relevant. All over the Caribbean governments are using SS or NIS money to assist persons affected by convid 19. Did the leader of the opposition copy his stimulus idea, from the USA, St. Kitts, St. Vincent……….?
One person that for sure is irrelevant is YOU and all the other PM apologists!!
So what anon, Skerrit have no stimulus package at all! And the aid for the unemployed he promise from the DSS now turns out is not his idea at all but that of social security to help in a legal way. But no, he always has to play the saviour doesn’t he. And he made a mess of it.The man needs to see a psychiatrist honestly because he believes he is a genius. Well genius is close cousin to madness.
Linton, Shut your dam stupid mouth everytime you open it your foot goes down your throat Linton you are not concern about anybody but yourself and money I have seen you on many occasions in Roseau walking past people and hardly acknowledge them as if to say they are none existence with one or two Gorillas all three look alike, that guy have a nerve no shame at all talking about concerned about funding for relief measures this is a man who have never done anything to help anyone and country talking crap once again man shut up and go away bloody embarrassment to our Dominica 🇩🇲
No, Lennox will never shut his mouth because he is right and he fights for the good of the people of DA. You are just another spineless apologist for that corrupt and lying PM. It’s the likes of YOU and your friends that are an embarrassment to our Dominica. You have sold your country for a few dollars here and there to that corrupt gang.
Silver Fox, go to hell, go to Hell, it’s ou damn business to expose the truth lies and incompetence of this fake, immature, outdated As Skerritt. This political clown must get lost, get the hell out of our Government and Dominica. We don’t like nor condone in nefarious immature boyish people. Skerrit has killed our economy, agriculture, socioeconomic development and decency of Nature Isle.
Too much Bobol, so go clean all dirty, corrupted Labour government backyard. Shame on this 🤡 clown Skerrit and his waste of time deceptive Bobol dirty blind government.
Skerrit must go. Get the hell out of our government, that you have killed😠.
Get out. Get the hell out.
We look forward to Decent, trusted highly professional Hon. Lennox Linton.
Skerrit must be get the Hell out. Go away.
We well the UWP highly professional trustworthy Team. With Hon. Linton as Leader.
Amen. No
Do not come into discussion in matters you do not understand. Do anyof you know what is a “Statutory Board”? Well go find out. Also who is the supervisor of the Dominica Social Security Board? Go find out these things and many others to understand how Government operates, then come back and talk. When you understand the mechanism of Government, Councils etc, then u will not speak dumb or ask foolish question. When you do understand, u will not even come and just talk for talking sake.
Mostof the persons making comment do not understand and are quick to grab on anything negative said about Government (actually the PM) and those twisters will answer questions for misleading the public.
Let my comment roll.
YOU seem to know it all. So, instead of making a big propaganda speech… why don’t you enlighten all of us and share you in depth knowledge! Perhaps you also know the whereabouts of the missing CBI and PetroCaribe money. Come on, let’s hear it…
Truth be told, you’re ignoramous with your thoughts and failed comments. You’re out of date and out of context. You’re out of context and rather than offer us some intellectual message you have lost that bigger picture because you’re this blind loyalist to this failed Skerrit, who has failed our people and country.
Tell us please 😁 after 19 long years where is the development of our nature Isle?
We’re in deep poverty, Skerrit is just a fanfare compared to experienced Hon. Linton.
Skerrit has failed our people ug time. Never had that experience to run a country. Skerrit has killed our economy agriculture socioeconomic development etc. He is ignoramous of those principles, just being this political play boy.
Our People our Dominica needs mature decent leadership and guidance.
Tio much Bobol under Skerrit. He must get lost. Get the hell out 😂, Now!
“Most of the persons making comment do not understand and are quick to grab on anything negative said about Government–actually the PM” @The Truth Be Told
Those persons’ condition of the mind cannot receive anything that is the truth, or positive. It is a ground to produce negativity, a portion of food for their flesh–they have no spirit; their soul is sleeping dead.
That is the reason Linton–the leader– cannot speak anything positive; his mind cannot produce that kind of fruit; and without his negative products, his followers will perish. A people like that can never belong to the majority.
Amen and Amen! This is hitting the nail on the head. That is the core of all the negative attitudinal changes in our society now. Not sure if anyone has paused to notice the change in some of our people.
Negative thinking; cannot be happy for anyone who has achieved anything; there has to be something dishonest about anyone who succeeds; bad talking all day long, even their own relatives; jealous of everything and everybody; destructive competition; the list goes on!
I agree that can never be the posture of the majority so let us who are willing work to ensure that this does not become the persona of our Dominica.
Who the hell are you to question our known facts of this failed Skerrit and in this corrupted Labour government lead by this failed incompetent Skerrit and his immature Labour government. They have failed us big time and reduced our people to be beggars through Skerrit’s deceptive Bobol Red Clinic, Bin Bobol (he lied when Hon. Linton exposed his deceitfulness. To this day Skerrit and his failed questionable Labour government have been stained with The obvious Red stained paint. This failed corrupted Labour government must get the hell out. Skerrit has failed our Dominica, our people. Too much Bobol and deception in our government.
Get the hell out. We have decent professional UWP leadership to raise the standard and reputation of our government, people and country. Labour party, get the hell out of you all have day us over your failed incompetent 20yrs in our Government. It’s time for Skerrit to pack up and go, get lost. You have failed us. We need to take our Dominica back. Go…
The thing about Alibaba is, he has people in every key position to help him Steal, cheat and destroy and these co thieves he put in place to defend him when he is cought. So he has co thieves in the presidency, in police, in the Judiciary, in the inland revenue, the social security, in every ministry, in the church, in every village or Town council, in the hospital even in jail and the cemetery Alibaba has people working with him and for him so he could steal, cheat and deceive. I am referring about Alibaba and his forty thieves that I read about in the story.
Albeit I agree that the government should not dip into the DSS to pay people who have been affected by the covid virus and that he would be wiser borrowing that money from the airport development and housing programme funds, we should not make it political. What we should do is to meet with the Prime Minister and wisely advise him that he would be better of borrowing that money from the programme funds I mentioned, these funds can always be replaced later, and the fact that the DSS has already made bad investments in the past. I think he would be more receptive to listen attentively to peoples’ comments and how they feel and that it would be better for the good of the country as opposed to his decision. And certainly, it makes more sense.
Thank you Honourable PM for another opportunity to address the issue of the CBI 2.2 billion dollars you said were not accounted for in the last Budget debate (2019 – 2020).
As I promised, everytime you speak about monies I will use my democratic right to remind you of your responsibility to the citizens who elected you to office.
Today is the 272nd day since you threatened to make Lennox Linton the laughing stock of Dominica, the REGION and the WORLD. I am waiting patiently!!
And once again I call on the MEDIA to help me in the quest to learn about the whereabouts of the Nation’s wealth. Why is it that no media house wants to do some research??
HOTEP!
Here we go again a bunch of BUNCH OF UWP OVEREDUCATED JACK A.Every government borrow money from social security the problem is paying back.UWP took …(millions)…. from DOMINICA SOCIAL SECURITY,they could not pay back,and gave DSS government land in WARNER.The mighty USA is mighty because,their BIGGEST DEBT is to SOCIAL SECURITY.The US government owe social security TRILLIONS OF DOLLARS.It had to take the SKERRIT to pay back UWP debt to DSS.Ask Linton where that money came from……………………while these D – – – – – – continue to post BS.
lin Clown emmmh! I challenge you to tell us the debt owed to China by this present government and to tell us how we are going to pay it back?? At least the UWP offered real estate to an indigenous institution which belongs to us Dominicans in exchange for the debt; BTW the value of the land is worth much more now than it was then. So social security is better off for it today as the value of the lands in Warner are appreciating rather than depreciating. Tell us what this government or others to come will be offering the Chinese when we default on loans from China? Now Give your Tongue Lin but please don’t prove yourself to be a clown when you attempt to answer.
My Gosh
All we hear from the opposition is about money. A dollar will make this man do de hokey pokey.
WORST OPPOSITION IN THE WORLD
@ mygosh, I wonder what is the responsibility of your best opposition in the world? You seem to be part of the missing money and you hate the idea that some smart dude is asking questions. The best guard is the one that catches the thief; the best opposition is the one that exposes the thief and the best police are those that investigate, arrest and charge the thief and the best magistrate or judge are the ones that convict and sentence the thief to prison.
Paula, if you are someone who is the working class and make your contribution to the social security monthly, would you like your contributions which was placed there for you in an event you are no longer working. Would u allow someone to use your money not knowing if you may get them back when they are due to you
@My Gosh, I was thinking the same thing, you said it for me, thank you.
Paula, wake up and smell the corrupted coffee of this failed Odd Skerrit Minister. Hon Linton is one of Dominica’s most decent, highly professional Dominican and politician be as Leader of the Opposition.
Skerrit and his failed highly corrupted Labour government has failed us reduced our Dominican people to begging and families in deep poverty. Shame on immature Skerrit and his failed questionable corrupt Labour government/Party. We desperately need a change in government and get rid of this failed 😡😡 Labour government and its incompetent do called Pm Skerrit. We need to take back our Dominica. We therefore need decent, trusted, competent to honest open government, but not failed immature Skerrit and his obvious incompetent do corrupted Labour government. Skerrit is Not Prime Minister material. He is this failed incompetent, failed immature Odd Minister. Time to get out, take the exit and get the hell out. Too much to and meddling in our Government. We welcome UWP with Hon.Linton.
Money is very important, ask mr. Skerrit, he loves it.
All skerrit do is encouraging laziness
True, it comes from within. We need Skerrit in out. Go to Hell, Go to Hell, it is our damn business
It perplexes me about the debt forgiveness from Venezuela. Did Dominica have the debt money in a lump sum or was Dominica making payments by installments? It definitely would have to be the latter. Linton and his cronies and acolytes make it sound like the debt money was just sitting in a bank. Please, clear the air about the Venezuelan debt money or if you do not have the knowledge of how these types of transactions work you need to cease commenting on them.
Man, grow up. The money was owed to Venezuela for the oil and gas they ship to us. Yes the money supposed to be in account to pay for that but the account empty. Is Roosevelt and Reggie spent that God knows where and on what. So the money not there and we do not owe Venezuela for it again but is like a gift to us and we still want government to account for it obviously, what was it spent on. If it is legit fine by me but we never get an explanation from the minister of finance.
Hey all you again. If your debtis forgiven, it means you do not have to pay the loan again. Which Bank, Credit Union, Merchant, Creditor would tell you I forgive your debt and turn around and give you money.
Do you know how many times in the past, I have tried to explain this to you. Zor paka apon or comprendre?
Take note Realist aka Expat and all those who think that deb forgiveness involves money given by the forgiver to the one paying the loan.
Realist, get real, be real. Also Hon. Linton is leader of the Opposition and has that right to challenge and ask questions of this failed Skerrit about our money and states resources.
Hon. Linton is not the issue. Why are you clowns not going after this failed, incompetent failed, immature Skerrit. This government is a pappyshow headed by an immature client Skerrit. Go drive around Dominica and see the poverty. Skerrit has killed our agriculture and states revenue. Tell us what is happening in our Government, Dominica that brings in revenue. We also need an account of the Passport Bobol. Where is our money and how was it spent.
Jon. Linton and his decent professional UWP Team and we now need change that Skerrit and corrupted Labour government must go to Hell. We need Decent, mature, visionary leadership in our government. That is for sure. You blind ones go after Him. Linton because you’ll fear him because you’ll know that Skerrit and corrupted Labour has failed us. Go to hell,…
I remember a time in 1998 Reginald Austrie and the rest of the labour retards were in uproar about the government of the day putting their hands in SS and corruption. We all were pissed and got them out. It was wrong and a bad sign then and same today. Soon we will be seeing money coming from IMF. Why did the PM not make public the fact they applied for the SDR from IMF to give stimulus. This PM need to give an account of the millions in the monthly airport fund and all other CBI accounts, who sold passports, how much they deposited in account and how much they kept for themselves along with receipts. If this cannot be done then we assume the money is stolen and financial crime unit of the CDPF need to start the investigation and recovery. Get a freaking dragnet out. The parliamentary declaration is not a freaking joke and not a campaign platform. SS explanation that it is to stop unemployment is BS. How much have the NEP workers contributed to SS? How much taxes have the labour reps
Continue……
How much taxes have the labour reps paid for revenue the received for last election. It is illegal to not record revenue. How much taxes has minister in the north paid for revenue collected from rental to Venezuelans? How can a government official who once could not afford a car all of a sudden have mansions on a public salary? What is the cost of property taxes and taxes on property sold. We know of one instance where the state was shirt paid. We know for a fact individuals are buy property from passport money sale and starting side businesses which seems to be for money washing or laundering purposes. Why has inland revenue not conducted audits on these folks along with those politicians like leaches sucking the state. So you see if skerrit is allowed to take one cent from social security i would expect serious uproar. This 20 years of abuse need to stop. All these folks who say they care about country need to do there jobs. The country on verge of bankruptcy.
Yessssssssssss, ohhhh yes, for sure.
As said above, we need an account of our government finances. We will not let this go away. We had enough of this failed incompetent failed Skerrit and his failed questionable failed Labour government.
Skerrit must get lost. For sure Skerrit cannot step into the shoes of Him. Lennox Linton and our trusted United Workers Party (UWP).
My people of Dominica please wake up. We need a change from this comical. Immature political clowns 🤡 .
Wake our people, we need this immature Skerrit and his failed questionable Labour Party out of our government Amen. Dominicans please wake up. Blessings.
Hon. Linton and Formidable UWP Team, please stay focus, we depend on you, we will help get this fake Labour government out of our government. Skerrit must get lost, get out!
When the previous government took money from the DSS and replaced it with IOU’s I thought it was wrong and I feel the same about this move. Employees’ contributions are paid from their wages and intended to see them through unforeseen hard times. The employers also make a contribution, on the understanding they do so on their employees behalf. They offset them against tax and they have no claim on these funds. It is wrong for any government to dip their hand into money that does not belong to them and reminds me of people like Robert Maxwell in the U.K. who took money from his employees’ pension scheme for his own, not always honourable expenditures. As is known, he came to an ominous end, falling off his yacht and drowning.
Roosevelt Skerrit is disingenuous. The DSS ultimately resorts under the Ministry of Finance, which provides general supervision to the Social Security board. And who heads the Ministry of Finance. None other than Hon. Roosevelt Skerrit!
UK Dominica you want to caompare this to someone in the UK who took monies from his employees pension scheme for his own as quoted by you? Dominica Social Security is a Statutory Board Institution overseen by a Board of Directors who is answerable to the Government under the guidance of the Finance Ministry. Now let me ask u who is going tro be assisted? Roosevelt Skerrit is not going to put the money in his pocket . Now it is high time that you people become objective & not let your actual dislike of the PM mar your seeing right. Do not like him if u want & do not make yourself sound so over & better than us here in Dominica. COVID-19 is real, touched & impacted us here too. Some are out of jobs too. I am not thank God for that. So u find a difficulty that the PM & Government collaborating with the DSS to bring relief to those impacted? I really would like to hear from u. Just for not liking the PM. This PM inspite of many who do not like has shown fortitude etc. We voted him
It is not Skerrit money, period. Is just like taking my savings in the credit union and saying he is giving it to poor people because they need it .You are crazy man. Let him give from his own pocket, he can spare it.
Linton, I’m no account nor am I an economist, but any lay person would know that if a you have 270 million dollars debt waved off or forgiven as you stated, it doesn’t mean that you have 270 million dollars sitting in an account somewhere. It only means that you don’t have to go and raise that money to pay off that debt. I suggest that you go back on lock down and allow the government to continue doing what they do best, Govern! You seem angry that the hospital is being built in Marigot so you don’t have an issue to talk about at the next election campaign.
Is ….. people like you that have this Cartel on the backs of the people. If the state had the money, what did they do with it, have they given an account of they spending it? You people are the worst set of people to be guardians of the country and the next generation are going to raise you all from the dead and set you all on fire for the betrail that you all have engaged in for the sake of politicians. These politicians have not displayed any accountability for the resources of the state and that is ok with you whilst they accumulate debt on the backs of the future generation to engage in their barbarism.
AA so true.
We need an account of our:
1. Our Bin Bobol money
2. Fertilizer Bobol money
3. The Abusive Red Clinic money
4. The passport scam money. Who has benefited from it, with commission?
5. My people wake up and smell the dirty Red Clinic from the top 😂 floor of the Financial Centre.
We need DLP clowns out of our States financial services and business.
Labour Get out Go Away.
Myopia is not the same as eagle eyed, nor is govern a substitute for lying and misappropriation.
Eagle-Eyed thanks. I have been saying that all along. These people misleading others. Wher u ever hear a debt is forgiven and the one (Bank, Credit Union, Merchant, Organisation, etc) would forgive the debt and give you back the same money owed?
Boy boy these scammers. Go educate yourself and then others . I am amazed at such things. There are a lot of things happenning Mr. Linton. Why do always want to oppose for oppose sake. Do something constructive. Form a group within your party and do something tangible. Then who knows the money you always talking about may come to you because you giving in one hand (assisting those who need) and some will come in the other hand. Give to get. You cannot get alone.
The truth be told Sir, it’s Rubbish you’re talking. You don’t seem to understand this is not a personal matter bewteen Skerrit and Linton. It is a matter of accountability and respectful of our States resources and money. Where I sit I’m telling you that there is too Bobol and deception and abuse of our States finances by this corrupted, deceptive Labour government and its incompetent failed Skerrit.
Much Respect to Leader of the Opposition and his trusted competent qualified decent professional UWP Team. Thanks Jon. Linton and UWP Team. Amen.
We need failed 😫 Skerrit and his waste of time corrupted Labour government. Out!
Skerrit, how dare you to touch our social security funds after raiding the treasury? How dare you? This is all our money for the future. How dare you even thinking about touching that? We want to know what happened to our CBI money and the PetroCaribe money? We want to know what happened to the savings account for the ‘international airport’? In the hour of need you can not help the citizens without raiding their social security contributions now?
All I can say, I sincerely hope that the citizens of this country won’t allow Skerrit to touch their Social Security money. Skerrit needs to be stoped, he’s going to far!
Batibou River calm down and do a course on Social Security Scheme. You seem to be making your hatred for PM make you go so far out of reasoning. It is very obvious that persons like yourself do not like anyone including yourselves. Everything u analyse to see if PM “Skerrit” in it. You have become so obsessed with PM “Skerrit” that u do not even know how to respect a position for in your low down mind, u only seeing “Skerrit – the one I hate & would like to see down”. Emancipate yourself from hatred slavery, none but we ourself can free our mind. (Bob Marley). Now again when you are bitter, hate, u are only hurting yourself. ALERT – with COVID-19, have u not understood that we must love each other. Is the time wasting thinking, complaining about the PM worthwile whilst someone in your family or otherwise need you? Batibou River go by the river, put on your thinking cap – Is this worthwile? Pensive – stop fighting, love someone. Ask Jesus who first loved us 2 teach u 2…
‘The truth be told” , your long commentary makes no sense. Put our Dominica first and get Skerrit and his highly corrupted Labour government out of our government now. After 19 long wasted years look at the state of our Dominica, our people created by your corrupted Labour government and its incompetent failed Skerrit, with blind bats like you promoting this BS corrupted Labour government headed by your failed immature Odd incompetent Skerrit, known as thus Odd minister. After 19 long years this man has killed our agriculture, economy as our farmers are crying.
Tell us where is the development taking place in Dominica.,? Do you know and why is Skerrit abusing our poor mother’s coming to An if Daddy Skerrit to receive Red Dirty Money. Shame on you and your failed Skerrit and corrupted Labour government.
Batibou River for you and the others not liking others especially the PM. Here is additional information for you all :
Dominica Social Security Claims Responsibility for Multi-Million Dollar Unemployment Relief Idea.
U see where the idea came from – Board of Directors of DSS is not all you money. The employees / Employers contribute to the fund. Those assigned to be Board Members have to use the funds to generate (make) more money to be able to pay all the benefits when required. Let me tell all u again. The money we contributed cannot pay for all the benefits when due without making investments ( make the contributions pee pee more – to grow bigger). Who made it mandatory for us to pay SS. Many of you screaming is your money if it was not mandatory to pay when u working, would bring the employer to task to remove the %. I know what I am talking about – I have heard some of u say – do not touch my money for DSS. Now the 5.5% u pay & Employer pay 4 u make it your money?…
The Truth Be Told help me understand what you are really saying, for Reggie Austrie said a similar thing the other day, he said money Skerrit using is not Dominica money; Skerrit is also on record as saying it is not tax payers money he is using, and worst still he said ‘where labour get money is not your damn business’. Now you coming on the band wagon to tell us that DSS money is not ‘allyou money” well ‘Truth Be Told’ tell us whose money it really is? Would you argue that the money in our credit union is not the members money and therefore we have no right to asked to question how investments are made because individually our deposit are insufficient to do any kind of major investment? The fact that the DSS or the Credit Unions are able to use our collective penny savings to make investments to sustain and to grow does not mean we are stripped of the right to asked the board about investment made on our behalf. Given the scenarios above you care to tell us what in DA is…
Pathetic Randolph! Really! Your money is in Social Security? I didnot know that . You funded Social Security? And perhaps when the stimuli comes to pay to those affected , u will be the first to make a claim. Hope u contributed to Dominica Social Security? Just saying. You all criticizing everything the Government have to do . You have a CBI money too? Show me your receipts. High time you people to grow up. You working in the bank too. You even know about the saving account for the International Account? hmmm way papa u rich and you not helping one soul. Who manages social security? who invests the money to ensure it brings back a return? You need to understand how Social Secuirty works. If the money 10% the employee puts is only left in the bank, actually the money the Employee puts in cannot pay for the pension or benefits they will receive. People like you need good education to understand . DSS hold a talk or seminar for Randolph to understand about “his…
You know what, YOU just confirmed that YOU have not got a clue what you are talking about! Apart from that YOU are incapable of thinking straight and that is caused by that nasty Dominican disease called ‘Red Feaver with associated blindness for facts’.
its obvious Truth be Told u don’t understand nor appreciate how the pennies put in by us in banks, credit unions, insurance companies, pension funds etc are used for investments purposes that will keep them viable and buoyant so as to meet our claims…in the future.
It’s clear that if it was not for Lennox Linton Skerrit would not even be talking stimulus package. If Skerrit had any intention of giving stimulus package he would have put that in place before he called the first lockdown. I mean his CARICOM friends all announced a stimulus package very early in the game except Skerrit. So after much pressure from Me. Linton Skerrit finally began to play “a ring a ring of roses” with his pocket full of roses. Yet, the man is trying to give us the impression that Dominica has no money. But Skerrit where is our money? We know you have $1.2 billion dollars of our passport money hiding somewhere. In fact you said it’s $2.2. We know you also have over USD 100 million debt forgiveness money from Venezuela hiding somewhere. Then we know you have an account where you said you saving US 5 million dollars a month now for three yrs, so at least USD $180 million dollar. China building the airport for us. So way all that damn money? Where is our money…
I am really sick of you guys talking foolishness because all u do is hate PM. Support your Lennox but open your eyes & understand what is happenning worldwide. Stop repeating what others say. Analyse for yourself. I quote u “If Skerrit had any intention of giving stimulus package he would have put that in place before he called the first lockdown. I mean his CARICOM friends all announced a stimulus package very early in the game except Skerrit.” So u telling me that the PM does not have a mind of his own & the other ministers? Does he have to be a copy cat like u who not thinking for u but is what Linton say. Regardless of what u say, Government all over have to think outside of the box to see how best everyone affected be compensated. U again ” We know you also have over USD 100 million debt forgiveness money from Venezuela hiding somewhere.” U know I get real strange when u talk about debt forgiveness. U owing Bank, Credit Union & they forgive, would u be given the amt u owe…
The Truth Be Told why are you so obsessed with branding people as hating, disliking, jealous of the PM because they are expressing skepticism about the use of social security funds especially against the background that the PM, and his government continue to tell us we are doing better than other islands, that we have millions in reserve, we were also told that the 2019-20 budget would have been 2.2 billion instead 1 billion if a housing component under CBI was included. We were also told about an airport development fund of millions and last but not least we just witness a very expensive multi-million dollar election campaign in December. Now the Truth be Told monies did not fall from the sky nor did it come from swinging a magic wand, right, however the money had to come from somewhere right. So simply put we are suggesting that instead of going to DSS lets get the funds from these alternative sources. Now by saying so I hope you don’t conclude that I hate or dislike anyone.