PM Skerrit urges AID Bank to move quickly on small business loan facility

The AID Bank, located on Charles Avenue, Goodwill, is where the small business loans can be accessed

Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit wants the AID Bank to move with haste and provide much-needed loans from the new loan facility to small businesses on the island.

The Government of Dominica, last week, signed a $5 million loan agreement with the AID Bank to assist small businesses that have been impacted by the Covid-19 Pandemic.

“Just to say to the AID Bank, I don’t think you guys want me to say anything publicly that is negative about the AID Bank and so I am hoping that Madam manager you can tell your staff that they have to be diligent; they have to be respectful; they have to be responsive and if is 5 documents somebody needs to bring and they have these 5 documents, don’t send them home for something that is not required. If is 5 documents the person has, let’s roll,” he advised.

Skerrit continued, “This back and forth that we have in Dominica, come back tomorrow; you come back with the same documents they tell you, you have the wrong date. Next week, they will tell you that you have to bring your driver’s license. You bring it, they ask what about your Social Security card, you bring it, they ask for a passport, you don’t have a passport, you have to go and apply for a passport.”

He added, “People need the help; let us get the help to them as quickly as possible.”

The prime minister said prudent, responsible issues of good governance and accountability and transparency should be maintained, “but at the same time, we have to be responsive…responsive meaning we have to be diligent and we have to be efficient so that people can get the help that they need to sustain their small businesses.”

Skerrit said he is looking forward with excitement, to hear the good news of people receiving both the income support and the small loan facility.

He said businesses can apply for the loan immediately.

However, the prime minister indicated that it will take a day or two to do the evaluation of the documents, adding that the application form is very simple and the supporting documents required are very straight forward.

“It is a one-pager,” he stated.

The information required includes the name of the individual applying for the loan, business place, telephone number, home address, business address and some supportive evidence of the business being registered in Dominica before March 22nd. `

 

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10 Comments

  1. "maho pima"
    May 26, 2020

    prime minister skerrit is a very deceptive, how could you disrespect the AID bank personnel like this? In other words he is telling the customers that the bank has a bad reputation in dealing with customers, he do his nonsense and and blaming the bank in advance, let the bank do its work, if they come without the requirements off course the bank must send them to get it until they are satisfied. what you and your palreps are doing and telling people who come come to you all ,that is what you are telling the bank personnel they should not do. The PM don’t take peoples calls, he hides from them when they come to his office, he tells them come tomorrow, come next week, make them go back and forth until they get tired and give up. Remove the wax from your eyes before you see it someone else’s eyes. Skerrit taking his maypwee to give to somebody else.

  2. Unknown
    May 25, 2020

    This entire system is full of crap. A farmer or fisherman doesn’t qualify for these loans. Most small business in Dominica is tied to agriculture.

  3. Shaka zulu
    May 25, 2020

    COVID come, things get tight. I loose revenue for two months and counting. This means i am in a hole. Instead of helping me get out of the hole the government is giving me a loan so i am deeper in debt and in a deeper hole. Dominicans must be the most stupid people on the planet. A loan is not your money because you have to pay back with interest. So lets say gov give you 15k, you have to pay back 15k plus whatever interest. Basically you will have to make that money make money for you. Yet the tourism minister asking you to pay your fees and license and other cost. This government is willfully criminal and cruel and people either very ignorant or downright stupid. When things were good that would work for housing assistance to people who are employed like teachers nurses etc. Skerrit is a fraud.

  4. Nkrumah Kwame
    May 25, 2020

    “The Prime minister said prudent, responsible issues of GOOD GOVERNANCE and ACCOUNTABILITY and TRANSPARENCY should be maintained…”
    (Emphasis mine). For the first time in my life I was almost tempted to say something for whicht my grandmother wouldn’t be happy!! And for which I would get a couple slaps and a stare that kills for she brought us up so well despite our poor economic situation then.
    HOW DARE YOU Sir utter these words from your mouth?? :twisted: :?: :mrgreen: 8) :-x . You are in no position to tell anyone else about ACCOUNTABILITY and TRANSPARENCY.
    Sir, today is THREE HUNDRED and FIVE days since you PROMISED to ACCOUNT for the 2.2 BILLION CBI dollars you stated were not accounted for in last year’s budget. I have been calling on you from the day you said you would on Kairi FM and to this day you have REFUSED to so do.
    You are not above the law, sir.
    Granny also taught us: an untruthful man never practices what he preaches!!
    DNO, help us please.
    HOTEP!

    • Forkit
      May 26, 2020

      Our country will remain last in the oecs because we are playing with our future and our children’s future…… It seem we are a culture of rum and party. We take nothing seriously. God help us

  5. 72nations72elements
    May 25, 2020

    is this the IMF money? So the nation has to pay it back to the IMF with interest, and we have to pay it back to skerrit through the AID Bank with interest also.

  6. Dr Clayton Shillingford
    May 25, 2020

    Has AID bank issues publicly ALL that is required for the loan so that applicants come fully prepared????..

  7. Looking
    May 25, 2020

    Our Honorable Prime Minister is a master of psychology. A typical example during elections when he said, he was “making noise for a pay-rise too”. Other examples when he speaks, ” A single mother with five children…”, ” Dominica has a back-door culture….” Some regional friends told me our PM does not sound intelligent. I told them, our PM is smart. He always speaks like he is also against the very system that he is managing. One day the masses will see the deception. As the great Bob said. You can fool the PM sometime, but you can’t fool the people all the time….

  8. Channel 1
    May 25, 2020

    But watch who want to tell people about efficiency in operations etc nuh………… :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

    Skerrit of all people; 8-O 8-O 8-O 8-O ………….. :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

    When will mister start to practice what he speaks?

  9. A thief / money launderer
    May 25, 2020

    Skerrit setting the rules and makes them very harsh and when the bank workers implement the directives of Skerrit, he runs on the radio to give his followers the impression that it is not he that’s making it hard but the bank. What a classic deceiver! His statement again reminds me of when Ian be Douglas, his own government minister tell us how he says one thing to you to make you feel good but the moment you run to the bathroom he will bad talk you to another person.

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