The number of persons participating in the national employment program is expected to be increased by 200, bringing the total to 600, Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit has said.
Skerrit made the announcement recently at a press conference held at Clear Harbor site in Canefeild.
The Prime Minister said that in the recently launched program, where the government has engaged a number of people and placed them in the public sector and private sector firms, the government is paying salaries of those employed.
“So far we have close to 400 people engaged full time, under the national employment program, and that will be extended to, I think 600, when we move into the communities when we have community enhancement projects and programs, where we will be employing a number of people in the villages.”
He said that one can appreciate the circulation of money in the economy, “especially in these present financial economic challenges, which all of us in the region and indeed the world are faced with.”
He said the 400 new jobs that Clear Harbor is offering are going to put a, “serious dent in the unemployment numbers in Dominica.”
Skerrit also cautioned the prospective employees to treat their job responsibly.
It is “my hope and prayer, is that those who will be engaged, will treat their job in a responsible manner, that you ought to come to work on time, you have to give to your employer, the hours that you are being paid to work. It cannot be a situation, where you get paid on Friday, and because Monday and Tuesday are carnival days, they don’t see you on Wednesday or Thursday,” he pointed out.
And added that, “Clear harbour has to service its clients and if they don’t service their clients, it means therefore they may not be able to keep those clients and to keep us employed.”
Did the PM say “So far we have close to 400 people engaged full time, under the national employment program.” That would be great because what I was lead to understand is that these people were part time workers and would have contracts for about 6 to 9 months.
I would like to believe that the PM knows the difference between full time or permanent employees who get proper wages and benefits and the part time, contracted or casual employees whose wages a different and do not get the same benefits. He should know this because it is still my understanding that there are so many part time (contracted or casual) employees still working in the government sector.
The government is NOT providing jobs, these young people are placed at government institutions for a three months period and the danger is offering high expectations that this placement is likely to result in full time employment is false.
Those who have been positioned at these places did their name come up from the list of those young people who have applied for job through the right channel that is The Establishment department, or were these young people picked and how many ministers enjoy having their sons and children participating in this scheme?
Skerrit is desperate and like the rushed Yes We Care programme which targeted the elderly for their votes and that “something is happening”, he is deliberately targeting the young and vulnerable young people.
This is an abuse. There is no planned for creating jobs in Dominica for our young people. Once election has come and gone these young people will be sent home.
Hahha lol it increasing now because election just therr but after election it will decrease lol back to woyoyoyyy.
he lie,lie,lie.
@man on the ground..What about the government providing jobs you’ve got a problem with, is that a bad thing, what really is your point? I’m rolling with the rover boss just as the government is rolling with the jobs, more to come..Get with the program boss man!.I think your name should be man on mars cause you are certainly not on the ground, not DA ground at least!
How many Jobs has this Administration created since it took over ?Does anyone have that information?Millions of Dollars on projects and only jobs for foreign Nationals!Now with a growing power of the Opposition Mr. Skeritt must comply and find jobs even if they are very temporary ones!Take note Voters,a strong Opposition is a good thing!When the Opposition was percieved to be weak the Pee M laughed at them and did as He pleased now He is towing the line!I want Roosevelt Skeritt for Leader of the Opposition He will be able to use His cunning aptitudes for our advantage!
If the PM can find cash to give intern placements for young people ??
Why not a national work programme to clear the drains and ravines ?
This would be of massive help to the villages and SAVE the goverment from all this storm damage,that can be traceds to poor drain clearance,
Hey people it’s for a six month basis and hopefulllllllly they may be lucky to remain after their tenure
Wow all this negativity I dont understand it a job is a job no matter who provide it once its provided isnt that what we wan?
DNO waze my comment nuh! you still correcking it?
Well I want the senjoseph contuency along with. The representative to ask skerrit why he not getting legitimate investors for layout river hotel and also for castaways hotel .and please ask skerrit and the senjoseph pal rep why doctor Ferreia was refused a license to built the hospital that would bring economic development to the st Joseph constituency. Please the senjosepj gang in new jersey and newyork that registering people please ask skerro and the palrep of senjo that question when you see them
Dominica was not willed to you by your grandparents. We had enough of you, sir. Change is a most. What you are doing now after 14years are all election gimmicks. This has always been your plan to do things when elections is coming. We are aware of this. We will not be fooled again. We had enough of you. We want to give some others a chance to see what better they can do for us. Thank you.
@ Gee, have you been living on mars . the rover has gone back to mars and left you behind .
wow, after nearly 15 years in government, now is the opportune time to curb the unemployment issue in Dominica? open your eyes Dominicans
vote catcher unemployment is an issue only before election as election pass skerrit finish with that change is a must tell the red army is on a drive to catch vote to stay in power they do not care about the unemplyed of this country thats why change is a must
Now for those of you that think it is a good investment on the government side, then what if the private employer decides to fire those he paying since he knows he getting the same job done without money coming from his firm?
wow all of a sudden Skerritt trying to create jobs lol.
This makes no sense Mr. Prime Minister. It is just your political propaganda. How do you feel justified to take tax money to pay people that are employed by private sector? Is that job creation? If you really want to spend tax payers money to create employment for nationals then why not employ them in governmental services? This thing only sound good to the ears of laborites. I know some people especially from the north that hardly work because there is not much to be done. But they get a salary just for sitting and play cards or tv. Not only that, but I have also seen some from a certain constituency, that got a paycheck, but no cover note or paperwork to suggest payment is coming from the government. In fact based on some I have seen, it is clear that the money is coming from Skerrit and not from government.
Why spread all these propaganda? Lets give DA a chance.
@Really, why do you call it propaganda? Did you realize I did not say I heard? I said I KNOW…
@Really, Please ask the Prime Minister how much money the government of Dominica invested on a guess house in a village before Calibishie? Ask him how much money the government of Dominica spent on the said guess house through that same so called program? Also, ask him what is the status of that guess house as it relates to service? I wish I could be blunt but I know DNO will not publish.
leap service to catch vote
Thats wat u calling bobol skerrit trying hard to fool us again clear habour laid off close to 300 and then reemploying them back but he talking about 600 new jobs I know dominicans are good at maths please mr pm try something else .
Thank God for Lennox Linton and the rest of the UWP Team….After 15 years of non-performance Skerrit finally realizes that there is widespread unemployment on the island. …Surely that is an indication of what a UWP government can achieve while in power…Change is a must!!!!
UWP was there already you remember and what did they do Skerrit we’ll still win he’s already there he will stay
I know this is a way of creating jobs but why is the PM having the country pay wages to persons working for another company?Someone please help me understand
well thats it’s done in franch the very same way you see it happening now in Dominica!some dominicab must fine info before speaking! the same way the say the pm giveing handout , so what you call what the french to giveing to 1000’s of dominicans liveing in Guadeloupe!
france is socialist nation and have employed social programs which are organised, people pay specific taxes to support those programs, there are systems in place to govern them. can the same be said for dominica?
Give the Pm a break it’s not what your country can do for you it’s what you can do for your country
what has skerrit done for his country and his fellow country mates?
Give the PM a break it’s not what your country can do for you it’s what you can do for country
Has Skerrit ever visited a local business? Has he ever visited Astaphans, Bello, P H Williams, E H Charles, or any of the other struggling enterprises?
Has he visited Benjo Seamoss or Tony’s Punch or Coal POT Soap?
Just asking because Clear Harbour seems to be getting some real good treatment. Those locals are here to stay and their sweat remains at home whereas we only gather the crumbs from the foreign while their profits are repatriated.
Local business need recognition too.
This National Employment Program is an election ploy and a disgraceful and disingenuous attempt by Skerrit and his inept labour party to hoodwink the young unemployed and underemployed voters of this country. After 14 plus year in power, is this the best Skerrit can do to create productive and sustainable jobs for the young people of this country? The labour party realized that it had failed the young voters of this country so in an Ad hoc, disgraceful and poorly conceived manner, they decided to go around and literally beg certain companies (DOMLEC etc.), furniture shops, supermarkets, auto-body shops, hotels, banks (NBD, AID bank) quasi Government Organizations (DOWASCO etc .) to have a few young people show up at their place of work on a short term basis, while government provides them with a stipend. Skerrit is hoping that this dishonest and sorry effort at occupying a few young people before the election would win them some votes. This is a crude and heartless exploitation of the youth, and Skerrit feels he can get away with it, because the young people are desperate and hopeless
If that program take root, I think it will be good for the island nation. Presently work ethics is “wanting” in our work place. Many of us who are lucky to land a job, take the work for granted.
I am glad the PM has echoed the same lines that is:”those who get the jobs should be responsible at all times”.
Some might think that the Prime Minister is unaware of the nation’s unemployment and under-employment numbers, but I think he does. Hence we should support his effort.
I think if this was a genuine attempt to create employment it would have been done in a structured manner. does anyone realise that this program has been created with a life span of one year. has there been any mention by the pm as to what are the plans after this one year? oh right election calls in a year time!
200 additional jobs?..WOW!!..Once again, this shows that this government is serious about creating employment for its people and these are real jobs, not phantom ones as we heard proposed by the opposition. That is very good news as it will put the number of jobs for our people to 1000, including the 400 from CH, and that is just in a matter of a few months!..The government continues to look after the development of its people and the best is still yet to come. Let us all stand together and support the good works of this government as they continue to develop this country and our people.
talk talk about employment the president call for dominican to boycut brezeemart a companey that employ over eighty employees and cause the companey to close their doors and send all the workers homes this government is not interested in helping the poor people who does not have a job leap service to catch vote
With all due respect to those receiving a salary under that program, I believe that this is a sham and a political ploy. Those are not permanent jobs. Although I’m happy for those receiving a salary from the program the government should use that same money to find enovative ways to create permanent jobs.
How can teh program be a “sham” when persons are actually already being emplyed? Thsi is no pie-in-the-shy programe. It is already a reality.
Also, what is a “permanent” job? Get real!! The only way to have permanence in one’s job is to WORK and WORK so well that you will always remain employed.
Really a serious dent. Prior to Clear Harbour releasing close to three hundred employees we had major unemployment; prior to the grounding of the tram we had unemployment woes. Now rehire the employees from the tram and clear harbor and what do we have ? I know that Laborites hate the truth but numbers don’t lie when we can all see it. In other words the numbers are not those of the auditor or Roosevelt Skerrit. The answer is 400 jobs.
Now Breezee Mat jobs are not counted, hotels,little businesses .
Question : Roosevelt why you ran From Cuba . Was it because Clear Harbor made an announcement or was it because you could not face the organization that you betrayed . Is that the same organization that decided to stand for the Polisario Front that all the other members in the organization signed on including you Mr Skerrit yet you betrayed an organization that stood for the cause of black people just so that you can get blankets , manure and other stuff for election campaign. you are the most deceitful and lying person I have ever known. I hope you know that the other leaders participating in the event in Cuba – a few of them have already voiced their concern and you know that
And you point is?
Another election ploy by Sheritt.Every time elections are near is when you and your “Bois powiee” MPs come out and try to fool us.
But not this time noh! Because we have had enough of you and will vote you out.
Cuban President Raul Castro has urged cooperation between Latin American and Caribbean nations without the involvement of the United States.
That’s a good sign for D/ca.
Because… “The only CARICOM countries that showed growth over the period 2010 to 2012 were three of the four commodity-exporting countries – Belize 5.3% (2012), 1.9% (2011), 2.7% (2010); Guyana 4.8% (2012), 7.8% (2011), 3.0% (2010); and Suriname 4.8% (2012), 4.7% (2011) and 4.1% (2010). In the case of Trinidad and Tobago, it had a mere blip in economic growth of 0.2% in 2012 after a decline in 2011 of 2.6% and a similar blip in 2010 of 0.2%, but consistent oil and gas revenues helped it to weather the storm.
Read more: http://www.caribbean360.com/index.php/opinion/1090465.html#ixzz2sHV5ndXh
@ RASTAFARI , The economy of Antigua grew by 2.79 % in 2012.