We will bounce back – Portsmouth Mayor, Titus francis

Francis is confident Portsmouth will bounce back and continue to present itself as the hub of economic alternatives for the country

Dominica has been hard hit by the loss of Ross University and Portsmouth stands to bear the brunt of this economic casualty but the town’s mayor, Titus Francis, is confident that his community and the country, will rebound from the economic blow dealt by Ross’s departure.

“I am very confident. I am very positive that we will bounce back out of that unfortunate situation…” Francis, told Dominica News Online (DNO). “Dominicans are a resilient people.”

He explained that the launch of the Val Ferry in Portsmouth, last week, is timely and will provide economic opportunities for villagers who may be negatively impacted by Ross’ withdrawal.

“The landlords who stand to lose, the local businesses entities who will now feel a little bite from the removal of Ross, now have an opportunity to come together as a town, as a unit, and create the enabling environment with Val Ferry coming into Portsmouth, to begin to look at alternative areas of economic activity to Portsmouth,” Francis elaborated. “I’m sure in the months and years ahead, Portsmouth will bounce back and continue to present itself as the hub of economic alternatives for the country.”

Tonge (center) says his ministry will meet with stakeholders to chart the way forward

Francis’s optimism is shared by Tourism Minister, Robert Tonge, who, in an interview with DNO at the Val Ferry launch , acknowledged that the university’s departure will negatively affect the entire country, but remained convinced that the best course is to remain positive.

He assured that the Ministry will meet with stakeholders and work “three times as hard” to chart the best way forward.

“The important thing is to be optimistic. They say when one door closes, another one will open, but it all depends on how quickly we can come together as a people, and plan a way out so that many other doors can open as quickly as possible.” Tonge said. “…We need to sit down together as a group of people—the stakeholders, the people of Dominica—and chart the best way forward for our country.”

The Minister also revealed that persons in the area will be trained in hospitality to cater to tourists who will visit due to operations of the Val Ferry.

“Training is going to be a key factor, because most of the persons who provided accommodations here did not really interact with the guests on a regular basis…” Tonge explained. “Training has to be improved. We have to get proper systems to be able to attract people.”

Economic activity generated by the Ross University School of Medicine’s made a contribution of 30% to Dominica’s Gross Domestic product (GDP).

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41 Comments

  1. Gone
    August 10, 2018

    Tell some of the apartment owners to go to Barbados, buy some property close to the Ross university in Barbados and relocate. Build some big apartment buildings, that’s how you bonce back.

  2. Bring back the parrots
    August 10, 2018

    There needs to be a full accounting to find out what happened to the CBI millions and the millions donated to Dominica after hurricane Maria. What did the PM and his people do with those millions of dollars? Millions came in from all over. Is the money in the treasury or has it been deposited in personal overseas bank accounts in Switzerland and the Cayman Islands? An independent audit needs to be conducted to verify the up and up.

  3. C.G
    August 9, 2018

    Boy you funny, Bounce back…. WCK should make a song called bounce back.

  4. mike maya
    August 9, 2018

    Dominica already had a ferry Lovely One, the Port and port employees customs gave Lovely One so much trouble it had to run away from Dominica now i see the Port and port employees doing hand stand and back flips for a foreign ferry, wicked people.

    • August 11, 2018

      Because wade them feel they own portsmouth and can do as they please on the port

  5. My two cents
    August 9, 2018

    Its time that we stop listening to people and start judging them by their action. Apromise is a comfort to a fool. Lets review individuals past performance because its the best indicator of future

    Titus Francis has been in leadership roles in the town of portsmouth for over thirty years. He has Not personally or within his roll improve the life of one single person in portsmouth . He has neither created a business to provide employment or encourage poir ambitious people seeking a helping hand to move up the economic ladder. Some 40+ years later he is still riding on the cotails of looks and perceived intellegence but the hard fact reveals that he, Ian and most of the candidates in the portsmouth constituency are not productive individual. The have not produced anything for themselve nor for others.

    I challenge portsmouth public officials to come forth and present your accomplishments by way of hard facts. Please dont tell me that you went to school and obtained got qualified.

  6. Bounce Back?
    August 9, 2018

    Yes Titus people like you will bounce back; Bobbles will bounce back; Nanthan will bounce back; Alick and Lennox will bounce back in a big way no doubt but alas, all the others though they are part of the Jaden patat of labar will retire after getting that bouncer from fast bowler Roosevelt Skerrit. That Skerrit’ is certainly that fastest bowler in the world that fataly bouncing even his players to death.

  7. mike maya
    August 9, 2018

    Dominica had it own ferry Lovely One and the Port and it workers gave lovely one so much trouble it had to run away now i see that same Port doing back flips for Val ferry, Dominicans have the government they deserve.

  8. Francisco Etienne-Dods Telemaque
    August 8, 2018

    Francis; shut up; how is Dominica or Portsmouth going to bounce back from a failed economy?

    Right now we cannot even talk of a Dominica economy, because believe me we do not have an economy as of the day Maria came and blew everything away!

    We are not a manufacturing/exporting nation. Every business which operated in Dominica which employed a few people has left the country , or closed their doors, for lack of patrons!

    We are talking right now about a bankrupt economy, in reality a bankrupt country! We have no resources right now to manage the country is in free fall; what do you have to replace all the businesses which left the country, and the local ones which simple shut their doors.

    Can your boat provide work for all of the people  who lost their jobs when Ross left?

    As for that clown, stupid Tonge talking crap about charting way forward, where was that chart prior to Ross leaving you all in the pit-hole filled with feces? 

  9. Possie
    August 8, 2018

    Titus I would like you to help me pay my $5000, loan at the end of November. I saw you many times before Skerrit sold Ross to Barbados and asked you what was the status on the situation with Ross and you told me they will come back, but you knew that was a lie. You are one of the beneficiaries of this deal so of course all you will bounce back.
    I feel broken. I will never vote for DLP again

    • August 11, 2018

      Should have paid your mortgage while Ross was there lol

  10. Massacre
    August 8, 2018

    How poor can Dominicans get before they realize that this fake DLP opportunists are taking them for a ride. No wonder Titus saying that they will bounce back! How sad is it that this Gov’t is not taking responsibility for any of their failures.
    Dominicans I feel sorry for you the cool-aid drinkers.

  11. Me
    August 8, 2018

    I notice Tonge protecting his jewels. Does he know what is coming?

    • viewsexpressed
      August 9, 2018

      These guys are in denial. Eighteen (18) years in government, just look at the state of Portsmouth and Roseau and other villages….and compare this with the bug housing and lavish lifestyles of this inept waste of time labour high ranking clowns.

  12. Hambrin
    August 8, 2018

    You folks speak like it is a glass of water that fell off the table. Well if is is then it fell on energized electrical wires. When will we bounce back? When we bounce back to 2018 standards it will be 2038. To bounced back will be to get Dominica on solid footing in every respect. Will we bounce back so that the people in Portsmouth who are indebted to the bank can continue to meet their obligations and not run into delinquency? Will aw bounce back in time so that parents with children in universities abroad can continue to provide for them come September? If that’s not possible then we are not bouncing back, will not bounce back and cannot bounce back.

  13. Roland Alan Mitchell
    August 8, 2018

    The only thing that can replace Ross for Portsmouth is the building of the international airport immediately .
    This would provide an alternative source of economic stimulus for the north.
    maybe Mr Skerrit is listening, and will supply the funds from the proceeds of the sale of passports.

    • Francisco Etienne-Dods Telemaque
      August 8, 2018

      That just dawned on you?

      They will not listen to you or anyone who knows, government such as the government of China told Roosevelt Skerrit “the only way Dominica will begin to make some progress is when he build an International Airport.”

      Rather than the fool took that advise, prefer to listen to Ralph Gonzales of St. Vincent and spend one half of a billion dollars on what you see at Melville Hall!

      Meanwhile, while Gonzales was making a fool out of Roosevelt, he planed on building an International Airport in St. Vincent, at a cost of just over seven ($700,000,000.00) hundred million dollars.

      When you see Tonge that idiot talking, his belly if filled with food Francis gave him so, now he can plan the way to move forward; plan what and move where, when Dominica is already destroyed?

      That fool commented that Francis boat will give visitors access to Dominica, I can’t margin that the one they say is minister of tourism is so ignorant and stupid!

  14. Possie Direct
    August 8, 2018

    How will Possie and Da bounce back from Ross Titus? My brother you sounding like a big joke to me and I just shaking my head because I cannot believe this is the same Titus I campaigned for in the 1980 general elections when he you ran as a member of Alliance. What did you drink of late? Are you kidding me? . Titus seeing how Ross was dealt with which serious company or institution will trust doing business with Skerrit again except Chinese that move him around
    I am not surprised at the remarks of Titus at all because he has been tipped as a future DLP candidate and, knowing how Skerrit operates when he wants to make constituents feel is not he but their parlrep is weak, I would not be surprised at all if he fires the shameless Ian Douglas and replace him with Titus for the upcoming election. But let’s not forget that Titus Francis worked at Ross for several years along with Reggie Austrie and yet they could not even help Skerrit negotiate a deal that would keep Ross here.

    • Walnut
      August 9, 2018

      Alrhiugh its lip service not based in reality an elected official cannot say we will not biunce back. It may not mean anything yo sime folks but some people want to hear something positive.

  15. Uncle
    August 8, 2018

    Yes Titus, you will be bouncing alright. Enjoy the ride.

  16. Charlie Rose
    August 8, 2018

    @ Pat’s comment below.. “Dude, gross incompetence. You’d like to replace 40 years of foreign investment with a ferry? In the real world heads would roll”. Unfortunately Pat, this isn’t the real world with the Tatan, Toucari, Possie Viellecase unsophisticated fellas, in other words obway. All they had to do was be proactive but they are always pompous and into themselves. Mia just showed them what it is to be business savvy and sophisticated.

  17. Pat
    August 8, 2018

    Dude, gross incompetence. You’d like to replace 40 years of foreign investment with a ferry? In the real world heads would roll.

  18. Pioneer
    August 8, 2018

    Oh so you mean to tell me that the people that lost their livelihoods at Ross can now become high paid baggage handlers for the ferry? All you people serious in Dominica? We have way more resources than our sister countries and we still 20 years behind them.
    Is that the tourism minister? Who? What? When? Mister ever travel to see how tourism is handled in other countries? Boy Dominica is the only place I know where incompetence is celebrated.
    I don’t know much about Possie’s mayor, but if that is what all you have for a mayor then all you deserve him. Where is his outrage on all you behalf? What is his part in all this saga?
    Shame on Dominica man. We hand over a gold mine to Barbados. We are not ready…

  19. moi
    August 8, 2018

    A good bouncing back idea would be to pay off the loans of all those persons affected

  20. August 8, 2018

    Mr Mayor be truthful to the people of Portsmouth and tell them exactly which “bounce back” you talking about; i’m sure you know what the CABAL is talking about since you are part and parcel of it.

  21. Truth
    August 8, 2018

    you mean they will feel a LITTLE BITE, You mean a LITTLE bite?
    In 18 years, Nothing else could come to Portsmouth, so why now ross left ,Everything can come common sense . Again, If ross go something else will come, ‘What something else? so the same problems ross had what affected ross, wont affect the other something else? we should rather concentrate on, why did ross leave, and fix the problem ,to avoid our other institutions from leaving also

  22. viewsexpressed
    August 8, 2018

    “Dominica has been hard hit by the loss of Ross University and Portsmouth stands to bear the brunt of this economic casualty but the town’s mayor, Titus Francis, is confident that his community and the country, will rebound from the economic blow dealt by Ross’s departure.”

    No…No…..No…ohhhhh No Titus Francis, you have got this wrong. Long before Hurricane Maria….” Domininca has been hard hit by Hurricane Labour arty corrupt winds led by an inept hopeless failed leader Prime Minister and the devastating force support of a corrupt Labour government ministers force corrupt winds led by so called hopeless Labour ministers and supporting bind acolytes that continue to devastate our nature isle Dominica.
    Dominicans understand the blindness and denial of a Titus Francis to use his intellectual to tell us that he is confident that Domininca under theses clowns he associates with will rebound. The only people tat will rebound is the corrupt labour friends insiders. Dangerous…

  23. mine
    August 8, 2018

    Why bash the man God is the only one who knows where things happened, Francis you spoke with faith good things will happen in Possie. You all are pure haters.

    • dillian pascal
      August 9, 2018

      Mine if you had $5000.00 and more to pay back to bank every month, I don’t think that would be your statement. Who in the fire feels the heat! Let people express themselves. Let people statements move.

  24. DA Fails
    August 8, 2018

    Boy at one point these guys just need to sit down, drink 2 or 3 kubuli and ask themselves what I do to my country nuh boi. Our parrots come back yet nuh? Remember when they stab de morne prosper padna is a van they throw him in? Another person gets shot and is van we picking them up in?? Looking like DA becoming an African Jungle now :lol: Edit: Ohh I forgot de kubuli factory close down, they can drink some water

    • viewsexpressed
      August 8, 2018

      Please be reminded that Kabuli is no longer in Domininca. We have lost them and the endless suffering hopeless families. This is sad. This government is politically illiterate , dubious and really stupid in their operations.
      For years we hear of Titus Francis, stands strong, behind most schemes, but look at where Possie is today. These guys of yesterday were just possie lookers and appears lazy to fight the fight to build up Possie. Now that Ross ran away all you have mouth, because all y9 became too dependent on Ross and handouts of y9ur failed inept ridiculous Skerrit. Go on sing all you bobol songs, “We love our M”.
      Love our PM, my Dirty foot….that to love…. love what. This man immature, ridiculous, and knows not of development and these Francis` sings his song, associate with him and feel nice as our poor people in Possie, Vielle Case, Tan Tan etc are suffering in poverty, and all you clowns survive because of failed Skerrit.
      Get lost, corrupt Labour, get lost.

      • Anonymous
        August 9, 2018

        Talking about Kubuli, does anyone know if Bello are still active, agro-processing or have they bitten the dust also?

  25. JBaptiste
    August 8, 2018

    Govt apologists like to make us believe that before Maria and the departure of Ross that we lived in a utopian paradise. What are we bouncing back to.CBI? We are heading down a slippery slope to a bottomless pit with this administration, and the only remedy is for them to go . Our collective tolerance should be long exhausted.

  26. DA Fails
    August 8, 2018

    Why you not saying We will Fly too :lol:

  27. bubbles
    August 8, 2018

    We will bounce back – Portsmouth Mayor, Titus francis :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: he have his greencard!

  28. Anthony P. Ismael Minister of Free Pampers
    August 8, 2018

    The Mayor of any town has no choice, but to be optimistic. The Minister of Tourism on the other hand spoke pure nonsense. Robbie is skilled with talking foolishness. How a new “Fly-by-Night Ferry Service” does to the North, replace 30% of the island’s GDP? Robbie was talking to a bunch of fools who support Labor, so they do not know what questions to ask him. Fortunately, those of us with common sense do.

  29. jamie
    August 8, 2018

    Ferry service cant pay these people loans,DLP HAS FAILED,AND NOW TRYING TO BLAME BARBADOS SO PLEASE,DOMINICA IS DOOMED.

  30. waypapa
    August 8, 2018

    How is Possie going to move forward with the most useless council and the most useless mayor? Francis cannot show one single thing he has achieved for the town as mayor. Errol, Brewster, Washway can all show something but you, zero. Just shut up

  31. %
    August 8, 2018

    Alas Titus!!!!Dominica is doomed with people like you,who want to enslave me into believing that a corrupt,cannot do regime like the one Skerrit leads,can replace Ross with anything.During Skerrit tenure as PM, we have suffered severely from a paucity of Foreign Direct Investment,because he has destroyed the country with his divisive politics.The last casualty was Portsmouth.Skerrit cares about Skerrit,and not Dominica.
    Where The Wicked Rule The People MOURN
    This DLP is a Wicked and Evil Party

    • viewsexpressed
      August 8, 2018

      Titus is Full of himself and appears has been blind for years as they sit back and watch the failure and poverty of the people of Domininca grow. Wicket set of people who write tis nonsense above and expect us to believe and accept it. Titus you and dangerous political clowns can go to hell..hell..go to hll…we no interested in your damn hypocritical nonsense.

  32. Paul Rossnof
    August 8, 2018

    Didn’t expect to hear anything else from you. You are one of the club and try to convince us that a new ferry service will eventually make up for the loss of Ross. I can already tell you that this new ferry service isn’t gonna last. So shut up and spew your DLP propaganda somewhere else. In the very near future you all will be very sorry for what you have done to Dominica. Don’t say you had not been warned. The DLP days are numbered!!

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