Prompted by the nagging persistence of an opposition-mounted “Where De Money” campaign, Prime Minister and Minister for Finance, Roosevelt Skerrit has indicated that he has asked accounting officers to prepare a detailed report on the revenue generated under the Dominica Citizenship by Investment (CBI) Programme for the 2018-2019 financial year.
The disclosure by the leader of the opposition of a 2019-2020 “budget shortfall” of over $1 billion in relation to funds generated under the CBI programme, has resulted in much criticism of the prime minister and rising opposition demands for him to give a proper accounting of monies raised by the CBI programme during the 2018-2019 financial year.
“I was not planning to say anything about it for a while but they are getting me upset,” Skerrit stated. “They are getting me upset with this proliferation of this $1.2 billion that they claim is unaccounted for in Dominica.”
First and foremost, Skerrit argues, the figure of $1.2 billion makes absolutely no sense.
“In any currency, in any language, 1 billion dollars is a lot of money,” he remarked. “If you were in America or China or maybe even in Russia, 1 billion dollars missing is conceivable though very improbable, but anywhere south of the border and certainly anywhere in the Caribbean, a billion dollars represents at least one fourth and realistically, one half or one third of your total national budget.”
Linton agrees that $1.2 billion dollars is a lot of money but points out that in recent years, the government has reported sales of half a billion dollars from the CBI programme.
“So, if the government three years ago, reported sales of half a billion dollars for passports, what is so huge or irregular about a billion dollars if things improve or if things got better?” Linton asked.
In an interview on Kairi FM radio on Thursday August 8, 2019, Prime minister Skerrit revealed that most of the CBI funds during the 2018-2019 financial year were obtained under another component of the CBI programme called the housing option, which he described as Dominica’s premier CBI option at the moment. This option, which is separate from the Economic Diversification Fund (EDF) option and the Real Estate option, was introduced in 2016 following the devastation caused in Petite Savanne, by Tropical Storm Erika the year before.
Skerrit explained that without the specially-dispensed housing programme, which is being undertaken by developer [Montreal Management Consultants], all of the CBI revenue would go to the State’s Consolidated Fund and would therefore, form part of the estimates on the Public Sector Investment Programme.
“And you do not see provisions made for any of the housing. Had we included this in the estimates, the budget would not be $1 billion dollars; it would be about 2 billion dollars, 2.2 billion dollars,” the prime minister revealed.
However, during his address at the recent launch of the DLP’s candidate for St. Joseph, Skerrit indicated that a report from the government’s finance accounting officer would be forthcoming but said that he is 100 percent sure that when the final tabulations are made, Lennox Linton will once again bring, “shame and disgrace to the party that he leads and to this country that he claims to love.”
But Linton insists that Skerrit’s admission in the Kairi FM interview, that if the money collected under the housing option of the CBI programme had been included in the 2018-2019 estimates, the budget would be $2.2 billion, shows that the prime minister is admitting that $1.2 billion is under his private control.
“Now he tells us that accounting officers are going to give a detailed report. Ok, fine, but where were his accounting officers. What were they doing? The question was raised since the 31st of July in response to his presentation of the budget. Then he came to wrap up the budget two days after that response and he did not address the question at all,” Linton argues. “This is a matter that any decent finance minister worth his salt should be able to answer within 24 hours. He did not do that.”
The opposition leader further accused Skerrit of trying to confuse the people of Dominica by putting out a PricewaterhouseCoopers report which he says pays no attention to the integrity of the CBI revenue numbers.
“It was not an audit. It was simply a report from the advisory division of PricewaterhouseCoopers and they want us to use that to say that they have found $1.2 billion,” he noted. “When they realized that it has not done the job because that’s not what it was for, they now tell us, 25 days later, that accounting officers are now going to provide the details and explanations.”
Linton goes on to identify what he says is a discrepancy between the number of approved applications reported in 2018 in the PricewaterhouseCoopers report and the number reported in the Official Gazette for the same period.
“….The Pricewaterhouse report tells us that there were only 2,059 people who got citizenship in Dominica for the calendar year 2018 but that’s just a number. The Gazette not only gives us a number, you know; the Gazette lists out the names of 3,961 persons who got citizenship of Dominica in five months – August to December of 2018.” Linton explains.
“The question is,” he continues, “Who do you trust? Whose numbers do you trust – the ones for the Pricewaterhouse, or what is in our official gazette where you have a detailed listing of all of the names of people who received the citizenship?
Linton maintains that “at this stage of the game…only a full scale forensic investigation and a forensic analysis and accounting for these monies will suffice.”
Skerrit is allowing this missing $1.2B issue to go on too long with elections around the corner. Why can’t the government provide a detailed explanations as to why Linton’s calculation in incorrect? This is a dumb move by Skerrit and he may suffer the consequences. If there is a figure in the budget then someone did the calculation. So let us see it!!
“Skerrit “promises” report on CBI funds; “Linton calls for “forensic” investigation” Disgusting thoughts of failed Skerrit to use the word “promises” re a critical matter of this having to do and to account for our money. We will leave Skerrit t Hon Linton and his discipline, trusted UWP Team. They will stabilise our Domininca and guide us to the right path where we Dominicans are able to work hard and study well to be strong, independent and to contribute to Dominica`s development, when we have got rid of failed Skerrit and his incompetent failed corrupted, Bobolistic Labour government. These failed guys as political clowns must Go, they have overstayed their welcome.
This PM appears devious, may have alot to hide from us based on his statement above “”Skerrit “promises” report on CBI funds” My people please read between the lines of Skerrit please. This statement above is highly unprofessional, devious, childish, lacks quality and not fit to be PM.
We welcome Hon…
We want an independent report now, Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.
Lennox Linton, You can call for whatever you want you will not proof nothing new but just making your self an absolute idiot as ever a laughing 😂 stock!!! Though out the Caribbean and worldwide 🤣🤣🤣Hope to see my post soon just like any other DNO.
Man Bites Dogs, woof….woof…woof. please stop barking and READ OVER YOUR SCRIPT AND PEASE and do not insult the English language, and if yo are able lease rewrite this nonsense that not only y alone may understand it, but as a people we need to read between the lines from a well written opinion. You have failed there, if so, go get help to construct your so called failed Labour Government failures in government. Too much Talk of Bobol and many other devious concerns we have to let out. Skerrit must go and as we welcome Hon. Linton as Prime Minister and his highly qualified, professional, disciplined, and experienced UWP Team. Dominica needs change Now, and Skerrit and failed Labour government must Go. Get ut, Get lost, we have had enough. Please report to us re this matter. “On CBI funds; Linton calls for forensic investigation. Great move Hon. Linton. We sincerely hope that Skerrit and his failed, corrupt Labour government will account for our money and returns to our Treasury.
Man stop biting your dogs where the political fleas are located that is causing you to be jumping all over talking nonsense and attacking those like Hon Linton, who is much more an intellectual than you and your failed Skerrit. Hon Linton, a patriot who has exposed your immature Skerrit and when Linton exposed the fraud and corruption your Skerrit and his line of blind loyalists cry out was not true and was a mistake, which was a damn lie from the thieving and lying camp of this failed Labour leader and highly corrupted Labour government. So man Dog, go chase your dirty wagging dirty political labour tail and leave us alone as we will kick Skerrit and his corrupted Labour government out that the UWP under decent disciplined Hon. Linton and highly professional UWP Team qualified enough to return our Dominica to where everyone will eat and create jobs for all those in need. Labour government has stained itself with Bobolistic numerous corruption everywhere one turns. Skerrit Out, Go..
Man, please read your message again with the poor grammar that we the people unable to comprehend. I hope you understand what this means, to “comprehend”. Go get your dictionary and Thesaurus and educate yourself please. This is time you free up yourself from this corrupted failed Labour Government and failed Prime Minister.
Skerrit and his failed corrupt Labour government has failed our Dominica and our people. Our young people can`t find jobs, non being created by failed Skerrit and his incompetent Labour government. Skerrit is a failure and so is this failed highly corrupted labour government. Too much corruption and BoBOL in government. No One reads or takes your comments seriously because it is fake and does not apply nor fit into the topic before us Our Dominica has the worse Labour government and we need Skerrit and his failed Labour to give us a break and get the hell out of our government. Skerrit has failed us, he must Go. Hon Linton and his trusted UWP Team we welcome.
This situation reminds me of when I was in primary school. Children were given very little spending money in those days. My best friend and I would take turns buying our daily icepop. When it was my turn to buy it, I had to give him a suck and when it was his turn, I would get a suck from the icepop and so on.
Well it seems like in this situation we are the ones buying most of the icepops and Montreal Management doing most of the sucking. So, I want to ask Montreal Management, when are we going to get our suck?
Right about now, we should be getting much more that just snacks through Mrs. Skerrit’s Foundation. You have made a lot of money from Dominica and still every industry and every service is suffering. I love my country, so this hurts me. Do you love your country Mr. Haiden? How would you feel if your country was suffering like this?
Suck sucker l’m afraid you will be sucking for a long long time again pal!
It would be interesting to know who the share holders of MMCE are and how many of them are Dominicans.
Mostly, the shareholders of MMCE, if not all foreigners just perhaps one token Dominican. These foreigners that are living high on CBI money are laughing all the way to their foreign bank accounts while thousands of Dominicans are living in dirt poor conditions.. I’m truly convinced that Skerrit has an affinity for FOREIGNERS. His children were not born in Dominica but a foreign country. He gives all the no bid multi- million dollar public contacts to foreign companies. Many of his most trusted and closest advisors are foreigners. Most of his time is spent in distant foreign countries. Only around election time he stays at home. Skerrit is like a tourist who just visits Dominica the first four years after an election. These are the facts, stubborn and irrefutable.
Ok DNO, the PM had a whole month to tell us where the money is and he didn’t! Maybe that’s because he couldn’t. So DNO can you now open the floor to allow us your readers to say where we think the money is?
He came by deception through a backdoor, leads by deception with many dark rooms and will surely go out through deception, to a dark hole
Wait a minute…Is Mr. Anthony Haiden, CEO of Montreal Management, a citizen of the Commonwealth of Dominica 🇩🇲?
This story getting more and more interesting by the day!
But PM why you not just telling us where the money is and finish with that? You don’t realize the more you talk about it is the more doubt you causing sensible supporters like myself to have? PM you and the financial secretary gave a report already to the parliament and it fell short by $1.2 billion dollars. Right now the numbers cannot change because if it changes you going to cause the workers them come up with more questions and, you would cause it to be said through out the Caribbean that the financial secretary and others cooked a story and that will be bad. So please pm just tell people where the money is even if you say it in a bank that doesn’t exist like that former minister of finance that you sacked.
A bunch of LAZY M F’s sitting on a wall at Pond Casse.
And you should join them since you are one LAZY M F sitting behind your computer. After all, birds 🐦 of a feather do flock together.
So where are you writing that comment? Should I CHECK YOU on my way? Birds of a feather flock together, right?!
This guy has a MENTAL BLOCK. His mind is completely sealed off from anything rational. If a neurosurgeon were to perform surgery on him, when his skull is split apart, instead of a brain that doctor will find lots of MFs and what is found in a baby’s soiled diaper.
Linton I support you.. that has been goin on too long… ou ti larger la
Seems like that kid on a block is quickly becoming kid in a hole. From a block to a hole kid?
DNO I’m asking you for the last time some ahole above using my postal name to write crap and I will be talking to my lawyer on Monday as to see whether i could sue for definition of character.
Definition of character dog? You making me laugh. You have no character to defame bro. and as for defining you there is no word that I know that can do that, not a decent one anyway.
You know right ..this,guy is such a ….. hahaha he says (definition of character ) haha is there such a,thing.. omg lol he must be a DLP supporter..
Are you suggesting that Labourites are the opposite of smart
Uwp for life… workerssssss
Skerrit’s statement to give public officers a chance to do a fuller accounting of the CBI intake is a clear admission that all is not well. This is no surprise to me. It has become painfully obvious that Skerrit has cognitive problems doing his job. He is running the country with crayons. Why do you think Dominica is last place in everything positive? CORRUPTION reigns supreme in this country. This is the primary reason for the underdevelopment of Dominica.
Because Skerritt feels that Dominica is his private estate and he doesn’t need to account to anyone about what he does, especially with the resources of Dominica, no wonder instead of keeping an ongoing accounting of the inflows and outflows of money he just does what he wants, as it’s not our damn business. Thanks to the astuteness of Lennox Linton, who just didn’t hear numbers but analyzed them, now Skerritt is forced to request bookkeeper’s to verify the numbers he presented in the budget. He thought he had pulled one over our eyes.
The first thing forensic auditors need to locate is the agreement between MMCE and whomever signed it. The second thing the forensic auditors need to locate is the agreement with the PRChina.
Much has been made of the so-called “housing option”, which is neither listed on the MMCE website (https://www.mmce.ca/en/citizenship-programs/dominica-citizenship/dominica-investment-options/#RealEstate) nor the government’s own website (https://cbiu.gov.dm/investment-options/). Make of that what you will…and recall that some have claimed its existence since 2016.
The third thing forensic auditors must investigate is the passport records for all these CBI investors. Dominica passports are valid for 10 years. This program has been in existence since 1993. How many of these CBI Dominican passport holders have renewed their passports? Bearing in mind it grants “full residency rights”, including the right to vote? A question I asked almost 20 years ago that remains unanswered…
WHERE D MONEY GONE UNCLE.
How many promises has Skerrit made since he became Prime Minister?
If someone has been keeping count, then what they would realize is that the number of promises he has made so far is very near to the number of lies that he has told since..
Like Dominicans have not yet heard that a promise is a comfort to a fool..
I have noticed the many episodes of outrageous tantrums from the PM, more recently his episode in parliament, when he tried to berate the Opposition leader accusing him of accepting moneys from the “polisario”, as if to say Lennox would be a fool not to accept moneys under the table. (go figure!!).
But still the DLP and thier supporters say that Lennox is the arrogant and violent one, I have never seen Lennox lose his cool the way the PM does, and to the question about the 1.2 billion dollars Skerrit says: “I was not planning to say anything about it for a while but they are getting me upset, They are getting me upset with this proliferation of this $1.2 billion that they claim is unaccounted for in Dominica.”
Skerrit feels so BIG, that he should not explain such a gaping discrepancy in statements of public funds..SMFH!! When will Skerrit supporters realize that he is a servant of the people and hold him accountable. The jig is up!! Show some respect to your people Skerrit.!!
You see he is talking his talk and at the same time trying to sell us stale fish. Do you believe, we getting him upset he says. The opposition is well in their rights asking you to account properly for our money, in fact it’s their duty. Lennox is also right to ask for a forensic analysis not some wishy washy account made up by one Skerrits goons in the ministry.
Seems like during the rededication service the DLP was changed to Demonica Labor party man? All I see in Da now is works of the Devil. I mean making wrong right and legalizing evil? That’s unheard of boy! Everything we once we’re taught to be right was wrong? Even the Bible they once taught us to be God’s way seems to have wrong too, according to the evils of the cult? Even healing those preachers use to preach seems to have changed to accommodate the cult. In fact yesterday one of the leading preachers of divine healing was on the radio preaching healing through alcaline water, his business? But in one breath he is concerned about the present health of the nation but at the same time he wants to praise his Cult leader for state of the art hospital with state of the equipment. Boy you see these fake preachers and their cult leader….
the man say they getting him vex wi. haha where i be there nah?
If you have nothing to hide then that report should’ve been provided a long time ago uncle.
This gov’t has no transparency. It’s not Skerrit money, It’s not Labour money, Its the citizens of Dominica money. If the population is 69K then that is $17.4K that you rob from every single citizen from baby to senior.
What is crazy is that this is just the tip of the iceberg. Ou ti largent oncle???
Linton is a stickler for details. This is one man against the MIGHT of the State with all its abundant resources. Yet, he’s outperforming them. What most Dominicans desire is a forensic accounting of the CBI funds from DAY 1 of Skerrit’s tenure not just 2018 or 2019. Only a nakedly corrupt administration would resist. A thorough forensic accounting will put all this controversy to rest. Will Skerrit go along? Hell no! The man knows the truth and will bury it under many thick reinforced layers of steel and concrete. Skerrit is known to use the truth with great economy. He (Mr. Skerrit) and the TRUTH are eternal enemies. Skerrit has surrounded himself with his fiercest loyalists. They will bend the truth to protect him. The country needs independent foresic auditors. Nothing else will suffice.
Oh so the money is missing,so why was it not included when he presented the budget,great job people who support this,Skerrit needs to be held accountable.
Anyone remembering the story of Alibaba and the Forty thieves? I just wish somebody would help me understand how Alibaba and his forty thieves got away with so much. Maybe they were very good in turning numbers around to their liking. Boy me Daba
If I PM I would take the matter to the House of Assembly. Details of revenue is treated as classified information, idea would be to lay a full report on the table in Parliament as it relates to the budget This should be a public report of revenue and expenditure of the CBI certified by the Accountant General, the Director of Audit and an independent accountant.
The PM has to put the safety of the nation first. The opposition is seeking any means necessary to prompt its minority into violent activities.
They think accusations of stealing money will have a negative effect on the credibility of the DLP which will reduce the DLP massive majority support. They are grasping at straws and they know it. Even if the PM kept silent there is nothing the opposition can do,its legislative not executive matter.
Linton was advise of the proper procedure for answers to his enquiries by the FS in keeping with the law of Dominica but he refuse to act accordingly. Reactionary.
But didn’t he do that on July 29, when he gave the budget address? So are you now Joseph John, saying and agreeing with us that the budget he gave at the Parliament on July 29, 2019 was fake? Well Joseph if the pm faked classified information then he must be arrested and the court must do the honorable thing. All you trying to defend and spin a lie not realizing is more trouble all you putting the man in. Way the money gone? Do you know? Can you help us solve this mystery?
But PM, if one flipped the numbers 666 into 999, do you think that would change the fact that 666 or 999 according to where you standing, would change the fact that 666 represents the mark of the beats found in Rev. 13:18, which by the way represents the number of a man? “Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six” Rev. 13:18.
Interestingly in Genesis, the first book of the bible, Satan changed words around to deceive Adam and Eve Gen. 3:1-4 “The snake was sneakier than any of the other wild animals that the Lord God had made…..” Contemporary English Version
Maybe Satan will help turn the numbers around for PM but that too will not change the fact that $1.2 billion dollars still missing and we want to know where it gone to.
LINTON is not going to accept anything.He and his Counterfeit supporters are uneducated,lying and lazy.I am very upset that Dr.Skerrit is trying to give an idiot satisfaction.Only a handful of those empty headed UWP idiots,say money is missing.SKERRIT must understand,it does matter ,what he say or does UWP will never agree or understandTo make matters worse UWP is LOSING the election BIG TIME.These people are FAILURES,Ron Green,Edincot,Ronald Charles and others waste of time LAZY.Dr Skerrit should NEVER,NEVER,reply to that BS.The majority of Dominicans know MONEY MISSING is BS.
Linton does not know he is in the Legislature and not the Executive or Judiciary. That means he has no power . He does not even have power over the rest of the opposition.
He does not understand that he cannot ask questions in the House that does not stand in his name on the agenda of the House. If he ask street like annoying question in the public domain, he may get all kinds of confusing answers. The PM does not owe him any explanation because nothing said will satisfy him or his gang members who are walking with their eyes and ears shut. He should not give Linton the answers he promised because Linton is only looking for means to showcase his illusion of power. Linton has no positive leadership skills and should be ignored completely. If he has an inquiry as Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee ( a none elective office), he should know the proper procedure and to whom to address it.(not FS).e PM is under no obligation to Lennox for any satisfaction. PM too nice
Joseph John you may not know that I not a supporter of the Opposition never was and is still not. But you really irk on the part you mentioned that the PM does not owe Linton an explanation. He may not owe him an explanation per se but he certainly owes We the People one. We may agreed on the point that the Opposition leader figure maybe inaccurate or the manner the campaign is waged may not be best. These can be left to a debate. But our Democracy is supposed to work in a particular way and it is incumbent on the Government and the Opposition to ensure it does. The government should ensure that population is in the know and relax the level of secrecy in which the business of the State is conducted. Legitimate questions on matters of State asked in Parliament by the Opposition should be facilitated and not frustrated. The Opposition should wake up and act as those in matured democracies. We the People Must wake up because we may be likely to die in our Sleep
The missing 1.2+ billion of the CBI money must be returned to the people. This wanton CORRUPTION must come to an end. The garbage Bins and fertilizer scandals should have brought an end to this corrupt DLP concoction. Anyway their end is just around the bend.
You know when there’s a storm coming and only “essential services” are required to be at work? I mean health care workers, doctors and nurses, fire service and police must work to preserve lives and protect properties.
If Skerrit cannot show us where the rest of our CBI money is going he must resign. If he refuses to resign, we must shut down ( no work) every government service, except for the essential services I talked about. The shut down must remain active until he resigns. No violence. No noise. He will have his support system pulled out from under him. Skerrit will take this country seriously, the easy way or the hard way. Public service get ready.
Note, another promise!
Is Skerrit telling the world that the past budget was a fake, ladened with makeup figures?
After one month, still no answers from misleader Skerrit? Skerrit what have you been doing? Boiling “Glo Cho”, to dash people? By the way do you have steps at Bellevue?
The idiot has to account to us, or else we should demonstrate till the nuisance resigns!!
Whey di money?
Whey di money?
Whey di money?
% its redundant and repetitive asking such a ill conceived question. The Dr. Ferrea answered that question in St. Joe. Views Expressed, % and Monelle you are an embarrassment to society. It’s amazing that you don’t take the time to go to the home for the elderly or the hospital to visit, but this lazy, functional illiterate seats on the road sideways and want accountability. Mr. Ronald Charles We are still waiting for accountability for the property you were given to manage. The tenant paid you the rent and the owner didn’t receive the money that’s also what? Accountability! These people can’t even stand up to make a statement. Get a LIFE. I am surprised to see you and Monelle survive that St. Joe beating. Throwing the RAWEST meat out to your faithful supporters isn’t working especially in St. Joe. We know, we know, they know, they know, Dr. King ………… Poor Boy!
“Report on C B I funds” ? Right Ralph, if there had been proper accounting for the last 15 years and no cooking of the books he would be able to post it on the internet yesterday and invite members of the public to the Treasury to look. All someone would have to do is go to the treasury open the books and look. He knows where the money is and it is not in the treasury like it is supposed to be. It is time to contact INTERPOL and the United Nations so they can conduct a full investigation and audit of the whereabouts of those millions of dollars missing from the Dominican treasury. He is just buying time to fix the books.
how long are they going to take to finish the project at the Pont Casse round about hmmm, it’s for the ORIGINAL Dominicans (Kalinago people0, up to now it cannot finish….
Skerritt said that it’s inconceivable that a billion dollars would be missing in America, let me remind him that following the Iraq war billions of dollars we’re found to be missing and or unaccounted for. However, we are in a “….hole” country and as such to have $1 billion dollars unreported and unaccounted for is humongous. Skerritt, we don’t want a cooked up report by your supporters but we require an independent body supervised by the ECCB central bank to do a thorough investigation of the missing money and the CBI as a whole.
If the guy has a point he has a point. By the way, with all that money collected why do I not see a thrust towards purchasing back the electric co Domlec, a dumb sale mistake made by UWP which they are still plagued by? That should be on top of anyone’s campaign list, is a money maker, a huge employment creator. Antigua’s PM understands this and acts upon it with vigor buying parts of LIAT, UWI anything with potential of creating jobs. ..like DOMLEC can.
But you forget that Skerritt allowed RUSM to leave Dominica when they accounted for 30% of GDP. Isn’t that worse than the Domlec issue you want to push? Why didn’t you buy shares in Domlec? It was opened to the public.
Where d money gone uncle?