UWP Deputy Leader, Joshua Francis is expressing concern about the lack of incentives for economic growth in the budget.
Francis admits that as in previous budgets there are projected social programmes to upkeep the social welfare of the country, As he put it, a few goodies to maintain the welfare of the people. However, he said he has a major concern as regards the absence of fiscal stimulants in the budget to grow the economy.
“Because that continues to be a problem in Dominica in that the economy of Dominica has been stagnant in many respects for the last nineteen years, save and except for the last two years in view of Hurricane Maria,” Francis stated. “I think that the budget ought to have provided more stimulants to grow the economy of Dominica consistent to the projections of the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank to achieve at least 5% economic growth. That is my main concern.”
Francis is also the parliamentary representative for the Roseau South Constituency.
Opposition leader Lennox Linton is currently presenting his response to the 2019-2020 budget presentation in the Dominica parliament.
Full Text of 2019 budget below:
Those uwp candidates can really make margie with themselves…”the budget has no stimulus,” says the deputy leader. Any 5th grader will recognize the budget as THE STIMULUS for development. So the uwp stance is that ” the STIMULUS HAS NO STIMULUS”…. Next time they will tell us that the “water has no liquid.” Real funny people on stage performing a pantomime. Well a wise man once said that the world is a stage so uwp is turning the House of Assembly into a comedy stage. They really have nothing to offer but words. They will soon be having a press conference to perform their act on an other stage. The strange thing is that they keep calling DLP supporters clowns. Wow !
Joshua is spot on with his comments. He was well measured with his assessment of the present economy. His comments were rather very mild in light of the present disastrous state of the economy. The present economy is depriving many thousands of Dominicans from living just a normal life. Too many are just barely existing. Joshua, you have expounded reasonably, rationally and you are quite accurate with your pronouncements. Do not get discouraged by your supremely mindless detractors of speaking truth to power as the country needs your perspicacity more than ever before.
As for you Ibo MALAPROP France, everything the members of the UWP are right to you. For you THEY do no wrong . If Lennox say the first letter of the alphabet is Z, you will believe yet you are the first to call laborites blind followers of Skerrit.
You claim to be so intelligent yet you support the foolish misleading notion that the economy is depriving thousands of living a normal life. Honestly those that don’t want to live a normal life in Dominica are the lazy ones like you and the UWP. Living a normal life is not just to sit back and talk ,talk, talk with no positive productive action, like you all do. You got to work. By the sweat of thy brow you shall eat bread.
If Joshua was in another country he would not be sitting in parliament.
Go and shake your bag where u sell your coal. You can come in this man shoe. Go to hell and back with your comment!
ds, shut your pie hole, you all are so blind, for 19 years look at Dominica, you are being fooled by this inept administration, a little hands out and cool out make all you blind, cure the disease instead of treating the symptoms, that’s the problem with Dominicans now, all you getting a little money from these crooks and all is well, who going to suffer in the end, its you dumbbell Dominicans who is last in everything.
Go and fix yourself Mr. Francis. You are unable to bring your personal, professional and public life to normal levels, so just keep quiet. You are a complete fake.
I don’t understand why Joshua should be interested in the budget of the DLP when he should be focussing on the presentation of UWP’s budget, pertaining to what they have to offer.
He is sounding a lot like the DLP will be the coming government for the next 5 years, then he has no confidence in his own party to take over–that too is a lot of madness, wee!
@ Elizabeth,….The real madness is Francis saying that a budget to spend one billion dollars has no stimulus . Is not a stimulus in itself.
The greatest stimulus to an economy is money, dry cash spending and circulating at a high velocity rate.
But we have to keep that money circulating in the country with elements of import substitution and export. Because of our small socioeconomic size we need to have a balance of trade surplus to accelerate our development otherwise we shall remain in the vicious cycle of persistent poverty, persistent underdevelopment.
We cannot afford to have a dormant private ( business) sector .
How many businesses make more than a million dollars a year ? How many businesses employ about a thousand people ? How many businesses have a 24/7 schedule with 3 shifts. All I see is business open from 8 to 4, five days a week. People come to work late and leave early.
Francis like the rest of uwp can only talk without thinking but offers nothing.
Uwp people keep saying that the DLP will do its best to stay in power. So DLP is doing and the uwp cant do a thing. So the uwp does not want to get in power. My take is that with their negative attitude and their low level of common sense they will NEVER get in power.
We can see their desperation because last election was their last chance and they are treating this election as their last fight. They keep saying, “If we win the next election,” like the hopeless crying outburst of male papaya (paw paw) trees.
To stay in power, the Skerrit-led government acts likes a welfare state. Government is by far the biggest employer in the country. They have serious difficulties paying public servants their weekly wages and monthly salaries even though they are these payments are the lowest in the English speaking Caribbean. A robust economy with small businesses as the main engine is a major part of the solution to Dominica’s economic woes. I’m petrified for the school leavers and the returning overseas graduates who will be seeking employment. The jobless figures keep growing exponentially. The #1 priority of the new administration should be incentivizing the economy in order to drastically reduce the out of control unemployment rate. Too many families are hurting. Too many are going to bed on empty stomachs. Too many can’t eat three meals per day. Change is a MUST.
The DLP stay in power is legit. Unlike the uwp D-day attempt to overthrow the government. They gave the government 14 days to pack up and leave, then they would declare themselves as the interim government like May, 1979. They are desperate and greedy for power.
But as usual the unreasonable wicked people (uwp) can only make fake accusations.
I read it all and spent time going through the budget. I now challenge those who do not read, to do so for themselves, not just repeating what others say. I thank God for his mercies, thank the Prime Minister for having the citizens at heart. Thank PM for the reduction, the added allowance for deductibles. Thanks for the removal of the taxes so the prices will be lower for the intended groups of people.
People say thanks even if u are not childbearing, school goers, Elderly (We all will get there sometimes), renting another house to bring income to pay the bank. Say thanks instead of criticising. If you do criticize as I say – just don’t say it is not good but make a suggestion – eg. no duties on electric vehicles; you can suggest something else for 0% duty. But all in all remember not all taxes can be eliminated. Monies must come in to go out (pay for expenditures. Remember Public buildings are maintained by government. Teach your children, others not to destroy.
Glory to the King of kngs who have spared us from the ravages of the hurricanes. We give thanks to the many persons who came to our rescue! We give thanks Father for where you have brought us. We give thanks for you wisdom and guidance to the PM and the others who worked tirelessly putting the budget together. We give thanks for all you’ve done. For all who came to our rescue and who worked tirelessly so we could be where we are today. We just give thanks. We also give thanks for those who did not see it fit to help in whatever way they should. But Lord we give you thanks that you will renew their mind to put heir hands to the plough to build a more resilient Dominica. We just give you all the glory, praise and honour.
Joshua RESIGN, and go deal with your personal issues. You discrediting the UWP.
You would love for Joshua to hand over the Roseau South seat to DLP/SLP but that is not going to happen. Pas-Lah! aint gonna happen! He will destroy the “cool-out” lady at the polls. Mark my words…Workerrrrsssssss
@Legion, I had the same thought concerning the discrediting the UWP. Not that I care anyway.
I’ve always wondered what is the minimum rate at which the economy needs to grow in order to absorb the students who graduate at the various educational institutions on a yearly basis, one of the principle reasons of migration from here. Why after 19 years of labour party ruling has this issue feels like it has never been addressed.
Ok, here’s a little lesson in GDP estimation. The growth figure alone does not tell u where the growth was experienced. and even when you break it down, if you have PAD, i.e Government Services having the biggest growth (measured strictly by Gov’t Expenditure), that means that your other Activities might not be doing so well, which they are the ones which would need to expand to absorb new workers.
So in short, if Gov’t Expenditure continues to ballon through social services, the economy will show growth but still won’t necessarily be able to create new jobs.
take construction for example, generally construction does not contribute much to GDP, on the production side. The value created goes into Capital Accounts being built assets. So even if we have plenty construction, it doesn’t have as much impact as if Manufacturing were to grow…and many many more considerations. GDP is a good marker for growth generally, but it needs to be improved.
same old nonsense in that budget, still going to have people depending on the government smh, no real growth stimulants, the everyday man not going to benefit, see for yourself
Link to the full 2019 budget in text form
go sit down, Joshua. You are full of it. You have no growth in you, either. Calling a public meeting to air your dirty laundry. Shameless good for nothing. Nothing the man says or does has any growth in it. How do you define growth? Disrespecting young girls?