Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit has said that the government will continue to provide support to the National Employment Programme (NEP) and the elderly on the island.
He was delivering remarks at a handing over ceremony of keys to new homes for 60 families in Delices on Thursday.
“Every month we continue to provide in excess of $800,000 that goes towards the payment of the allowances to people 70 [years] and over,” he said. “That’s what it costs us every month.”
According to the Prime Minister, as it relates to the NEP, in any circumstance like this where a country’s income or revenue is diminished, it will start making cuts.
“And it will start making cuts to things it doesn’t have a legal obligation to provide, and so under any other country or government the National Employment Programme would have come to a crashing halt,” he stated. “But the government recognizes how important the NEP is to so many families across Dominica. That is the source of income for so many families to provide for their children.”
The Prime Minister revealed that it cost the government every month $3.6 million to sustain the NEP.
Meantime, the parliamentary representative for the La Plaine Constituency, Kent Edwards, reminded the residents of Delices of the significance of the houses that they had received, pointing out that it was they were “indeed the best gift.”
“Many people will live their lives and will never be able to own a home, so those of us who have a home are very lucky and I am saying to you in Delices today, that you are a very lucky bunch.
He said everyone could not receive at the same time but, “your turn will come.”
Support for NEP and elderly continues. NEP are young vibrant productive people. the fact that you have the government heavily subsidizing the private sector where employment is concerned means that the private sector cannot support itself. Even before Covid businesses were not hiring. Even worse now that they know the government will pay for their staff, they have no obligation to increase their permanent, as a business person i wouldnt either if i means less expense. But they have opened a can of worms which is putting a definite strain on our economy and treasury. that money can be used to PROPERLY develop the country. To this day we are still waiting for the Marigot Hospital. Mexico yet to build it for us. Our police and Fire stations are in shambles. Layou bridge still down. Hurricane shelters need to be built. manufacturing industry needs to be reestablished to increase exports. So much money thrown down the toilet since these people cane around. but no tangible results.
Socialism is like a drug. It feels good, but look at what it did to Venezuela…
Never mind that, see what it do to the old Soviet Union. It break up like every totalitarian regime must break up, left wing or right wing doesn’t matter, a dictator is a dictator and has no colour.
Skerrit, enough of your BS! Where are the stimulus packages for the various sectors that will help stimulate economic activity and bring some semblance of recovery to Dca? You really believe time is on your side again eh? Ok!
Bro your behavior is forcing people to ask for the likes of Tumba, Mal, Pocosion, Peltier, Unisef, Joey and others to re-emerge. Yes they may have misrepresented in days gone by and did things that hurt us all. But I am concerned this time around the people will support them and things will not be nice. STOP the quiyonnaying BS and tell the people where their money is bro.
God bless Buju, Lofty, Seth, Blessings, Kara, Matt, Lennox, Vital and others who sacrifice their safety and that of their family to liberate Ma Dominique from the grips of the evil cabal!
NEP = Never Ending Poverty
Skerrit, since you quoting figures tell us how much you collecting in high- way levi used to pay NEP since is highway they cleaning
It is not only NEP.Skerrit brought Clear Harbour to Dominica.He is the YES WE CARE man.Under his watch the Police has almost doubled.There is a BUS STAND at Public Works under Skerrit.70 people supplying the ABATTOIR with chicken and port.New hospital Skerrit.Stadium Skerrit.Leblanc and Liverpool highway Skerrit.5,000 houses Skerrit.All four bridges entering Roseau from the North Skerrit.3,000 students enrolled at college Skerrit.More teachers ,more nurses,more fire fighters,more and smarter fishermen,more farmers SKERRIT.More vehicle rentals,more vehicles SKERRIT.UWP laundering $470,000US into Dominica DISGUISED as HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE.CORRUPTION at its best.Add $60,000 allegedly missing from CCM.According to LINTON the population of Dominica is 60,000.Everybody in Dominica above 70 is $300 with SKERRIT RUNNING THINGS.FREE medicals for 60 years and over Skerrit.
He didnt bring Clear Harbour to Dominica. Clear Harbor came to Dominica while Labour was in power. 3000 students in state college means nothing if the requirements to get into state college has dropped. whats worse is they have no jobs after they graduate. “more rentals more vehicles???”” laughable. how about reducing taxes on them so we can import better more recent vehicles. Also we have always had free medicals for the elderly and young. nurses leaving. For a man thats been here for 20 years vs the 5 years the uwp was here for. also the UWP of today is not the UWP of 1995. thats like saying the West Indies cricket team of 1995 id the same of 2020. Same team, much much different players. Just like the Labor party that tried to sell DA to communists may not be the same in 2020. These selling it piece by piece not in whole. your points and arguments are that of a child.
I Never listen to Satan when he speaks because Jesus says in Jn. 8:44
(A)You are of your father the devil, and the (B)desires of your father you want to do.
( C) He was a murderer from the beginning, and
(D)does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him.
(E) When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.
@Francisco Shut up and go away every time you open your stupid mouth a dark cloud along with rain ☔ would fall over you on a bright sunny day that says you are nothing and if you had any brains maybe just maybe you could have been something instead of being in LaLa land dreaming of I long to be white as snow, what happens to that house you were building for your sister after two and a half years is it finished yet or is it supposed to be a castle??
Wait a while are you telling us that Linton is a liar? What is new! I can even go further than that but DNO would not allow me to.
There were no workers that were sent home just after the election. Why???
There were several works fired after election.
Instead of creating jobs during his long time in office he created beggars and gives them peanuts income and a little flat. Of course only if you hold the right party book. Skerrit, you have failed as PM big time! By the way, where are the missing 1.2 billion CBI money and where are the US100 million PetroCaribe money??
Also the money given to the Kalinago people. He yet to give a proper answer about that without getting vex in front of people. Last time he start to imply he just throw that in the pot with all the other money.
Miss/ Mrs Francis,
I wish you to know that if what you say is indeed true, then I really am happy for you. I have absolutely no problems with people being employed and excelling. In fact if I were to critique the programme it would be to say that it does not allow those engaged to go to a financial institution to get a loan. However from your posting it seems that you were able to do just that.
It is my most fervent hope that others in the programme will also be able to do likewise
My difficulty is with the PM who does not seem to understand that he is paid by taxpayers to do the citizens work. He is therefore duty-bound to ACCOUNT to everyone in a DECENT, CIVILISED and TRANSPARENT manner and always remember that he is an ELECTED public official in a DEMOCRACY and not a DICTATORSHIP
HOTEP!
Until there is Transparency with this Skerrit led administration, I will continue to be a fierce critic.
Until the resources of the country are shared equitably, don’t expect me to relent any time soon.
Until corruption; victimization; nepotism; cronyism; persecution come to an abrupt halt, there will be no surrender by me.
Until that $1 200 000 000 is properly accounted for, it’s war on corruption until the truth comes out.
Too many people are living on the edge of society. Too many don’t even know where their next meal is coming from. Too many are still living with tarpaulin roofs; in dry weather shacks and in dirt poor conditions.
Pay will come for Skerrit, his mastermind and his worthless disciples. No wrongdoing goes unpunished. KARMA is around the corner.
Thanks p.m I am one of them in n.e.p from since it started in Dominica and I can tell I grown so much I have have my own small business
KWAME,wait,wait and wait.LINTON said $1.2 billion is missing.The PM said no $1.2 billion is missing and if he had to include the $1.2 billion LINTON is talking the BUDGET would be much higher.It is Linton talking about $1.2 billion not Skerrit.LINTON told you and the overeducated UWP “take your calculator multiply 3,961×50,000 that is the $1.2 billion”. Later we got to know from a KEY UWP supporter that the $1.2 billion was a FAKE,that did not work.Look like you have just resurrected,only a JACKA still talk about $1.2 billion.You tried $1.2 billion,you got HIT 18-3 DOMINICANS do not care about your $1.2 billion BS.EMPTY HEAD.
So you don’t need NEP anymore Josephine, is that right?
@Josephine francis, yours is the way we do it. Come out and testify how things have gone right for us; the same we are rushing to say that we had no benefit–which, most of the time, is not the truth. I hope some others will follow your pattern.
So then you dont need NEP anymore right? Glad that you can grow enough to be self employed and not continue suckling from the teat of the nation.
I think
to much young people in n.e.p and not growing in their skills you need to look into that
Skerrit the only thing I can tell you stop blah blah and do you duties to better the country the way you going on like you just there bad mouthing people and what you doing for them is not your money is my tax money tonia
You are a restless sole existing on borrowed time. You will soon be admitted into a sanitarium where you will hound like the dog while you are waiting on Roosevelt to feed you his dog.
Don’t let my sister house be your concern. If I depended on Roosevelt to get roof installed as they promised it would never get finished.
What they offered I sent a message, that they can take Roosevelt concrete and shove it up in him and them in the where the sun don’t shine.
Francisco don’t need material bought with money any politician thief eh!
Hahahahah.
Damn thief!
Nobody will ever say government give her that.
It will always be, Son her brother built it.
“And it will start making cuts to things it doesn’t have a legal obligation to provide, and so under any other country or government the National Employment Programme would have come to a crashing halt,” he stated. “But the government recognizes how important the NEP is to so many families across Dominica. That is the source of income for so many families to provide for their children.” This is madness!! Here is the PM admitting that the government does not have legal authority to commit 3.6 million dollars of state resources to a “NATIONAL PROGRAM”. So i ask on what basis was it set up and how can gov spend over 43 million annually on a program it does not have legal authority to do. Is this a case of labour party using state funds? Dominica is a coconut Republic this place cannot be for real.
“Every month we continue to provide in excess of $800,000 that goes towards the payment of the allowances to people 70 [years] and over,” he said. That’s what it costs us every month.”(doctor punjab).
Shut up Roosevelt, you little corrupted black wet back ratta!
You believe that the twenty thousand pinnies, equivalent to two hundred dollars per month which you give to those old people in a manila envelope with the words “from the prime minister” written on it is enough for them to survive (live) on?
While you have $1.2 billion dollars somewhere in your deep pocket hiding eh, eh, eh?
Where is Dominica’s one billion, two hundred million dollars doctor Punjab, triple doctor sir knight!
@Francisco Shut up and go away every time you open your stupid mouth a dark cloud along with rain ☔ would fall over you on a bright sunny day that says you are nothing and if you had any brains maybe just maybe you could have been something instead of being in LaLa land dreaming of I long to be white as snow, what happens to that house you were building for your sister after two and a half years is it finished yet or is it supposed to be a castle??
You are a restless sole existing on borrowed time. You will soon be admitted into a sanitarium where you will hound like the dog while you are waiting on Roosevelt to feed you his dog.
Don’t let my sister house be your concern. If I depended on Roosevelt to get roof installed as they promised it would never get finished.
What they offered I sent a message, that they can take Roosevelt concrete and shove it up in him and them in the where the sun don’t shine.
Francisco don’t need material bought with money any politician thief eh!
Hahahahah.
Damn thief!
Nobody will ever say government give her that.
It will always be, Son her brother built it.
What the ….. is NEP why all these programs. Government needs to implement real progressive programs, lower taxes, make it possible for small businesses to thrive. Instead of stupid hand outside.
We used to be a strong, proud, hard working people. With a vibrant economy, instead we fell for tricks of shameless politicians. While they line their pockets our future is doomed. I don’t care if you are a part of nep or anything else. This isnt the way we must rise beyond this.
“Kent Edwards, reminded the residents of Delices of the significance of the houses that they had received, pointing out that it was they were (sic) “indeed the best gift.” He then went on to say: “Many people will live their lives and will never be able to own a home, so those of us who have a home are very lucky and I am saying to you in Delices today, that you are a very lucky bunch.”
I wish the recipients well in their new homes but unless they have free-hold title the homes are not theirs. The best gift is to achieve by ones own efforts, no matter how small the gain or how great the odds.
It is great to consider the people who need income. It is time that the NEP be restructured into something where 3.6 million will not be spent monthly to people. I applaud the idea of the NEP but it should be something that can sustain itself.
It is time these individuals find some way to sustain themselves be a skill of some sort where they can seek employment therefore cutting down the need to a continued 3.6 million monthly being paid .
Am not a big supporter of the fake doctor but I appreciate some of the things he has done. Like giving a monthly payment to the elderly, housing but sadly some of the people that received it is not in need. Not forgetting education for the school kids. You have 4 and a half years left doc do the right thing. Use all these money wisely.
Oonoo ole vampire!!!!!
You only want to see man suffer!
You never want to see man prosper!
Oonoo set of vampire!!!
Like Peter Tosh
Today in the USA is celebrated as ” Juneteenth” which marked the end of slavery there and 330 days since you PROMISED to ACCOUNT for the 1.2 BILLION dollars you accepted should have been in our coffers. As a citizen and taxpayer of this land, I am waiting for you to ACCOUNT, sir.
You are the head of the government and you should not be allowed to continue to make statements you don’t fulfill. Doesn’t it bother you sir?
You must know that even among your supporters you are regarded as someone who is economical with the TRUTH. I hope that one day you will change for the better.
Now you should speak for yourself. Name me a country that has brought initiatives such as those you refer to where they ” have come to a crashing halt”.
Finally sir, what are the things you consider that the present government have ” a legal responsibility” to do?
I will continue to pray that you change your attitude.
HOTEP!
Those programs are much needed and welcomed but the politicizing of those programs has led to their poor management along with the division of our people. Skerrit needs to be removed from office and allow our nation to heal, allow us to mend those broken lines. So many untrained individuals manning positions for which they’re not qualified causing poor performance leading to poor management and further dissent among our people… So sad that this is our reality. Yet we see a constant migration of our greatest assets, our minds. After 15 years of skerrit we should’ve a graduate in each household, what has become of this goal?
while one will agree that not everyone is able to easily build a house ,help of any form should be provided to the needy and not to every tom dick and Harry who puts up his hand to receive a house and given one for political reasons just to remain in office ‘This encourages laziness which does nothing to improve the country but keeps a party in office and creating poverty
Subsidised housing and social housing is on every civilised government’s programme but it is normally administered through the civil service depts based on needs, which are normally means tested, which means that the people in such housing make a contribution based on their ability to pay. Never is the allocation of housing done through a political party, or maybe only in countries where the civil service is corrupted.