The World Bank activated on April 15 US$6.6 million to provide immediate funding for Dominica’s emergency response to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, focusing on enhancing health system capacity and strengthening food security.
“The World Bank has mobilized rapid support for Dominica’s emergency response activities to limit the impacts of COVID-19, protect the people of Dominica, and lay the groundwork for recovery,” said Tahseen Sayed, World Bank Country Director for the Caribbean.
From the total amount activated, US$5.1 million will be used to bolster the capacity of Dominica’s public health system to manage COVID-19. Funds will be available to purchase drugs, medical supplies and equipment, and laboratory supplies to boost testing capacity and for minor retrofitting of isolation units.
Another US$1.5 million will be used to support agriculture and strengthen national food security during the pandemic. The intervention is targeted to reach an estimated 3,200 farmers to ensure that the local food supply chains are better able to meet the needs of the island.
The funds were mobilized under two projects using the Contingency Emergency Response Components (CERCs). CERCs allow funds to be reallocated from existing projects and used for emergency response activities. This allows countries to access resources rapidly to meet current priorities. US$3 million was reallocated from the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Regional Health Project and US$3.6 million from the Emergency Agricultural Livelihoods and Climate Resilience Project.
World Bank Group COVID-19 Response:
The World Bank Group is rolling out a US$14 billion fast-track package to strengthen the COVID-19 response in developing countries and shorten the time to recovery. The immediate response includes financing, policy advice and technical assistance to help countries cope with the health and economic impacts of the pandemic. The IFC is providing US$8 billion in financing to help private companies affected by the pandemic and preserve jobs. IBRD and IDA are making an initial US$6 billion available for the health-response. As countries need broader support, the World Bank Group will deploy up to US$160 billion over 15 months to protect the poor and vulnerable, support businesses, and bolster economic recovery.
Looking at the neglected state of much of our potentially productive farmland, it is hard to believe we have 3,200 (sic) farmers.
PM forget about what the world bank said the money because you are pm and finance minister and you understand our immediate needs better than World Bank. So PM here is my advice to you:
1. Take the money and buy about ten (10) supermarkets in Barbados with eggs, milk cheese everything and come distribute the food here because the people broke, they hungry, they desperate and we constantly on lockdown.
2. Take the rest of the money and give each person, especially bus drivers/owners, their Covid-19 stimulus package that all other countries gave to their citizens
We haven’t Covid-19 to fight in Dominica and therefore we don’t need to but any medication. Also, if we take that money to give to farmers to go put on the farm too many people will die of hunger. So take my advice and do so asap. I am like a bird and I will use my wings to fly to Antigua because I don’t want to take a chance on Dominica with COVID-19.
Is it your belief that monies are just given without agreement of terms? Would you just hand someone millions without signing an agreement of the Ts&Cs? That’s not how these things work. Any business person would know that.
You were drunk while writing this huh lol. So Antigua with 25 cases and 7 recoveries is in a better position than Dominica with 16 cases and 9 recoveries ent? That is 28% recovery rate in Antigua vs a 56% recovery rate in Dominica. Furthermore, our health team is doing an EXCELLENT job in managing the crisis..so feel free to fly away…we don’t need that kind of negativity in our country.
Is there going to be a group of trustees at the treasury watching the money like a hawk to make sure it does not grow legs and wind up in someones overseas bank account.
World Bank to our rescue.
Skerrit as minister of finance didn’t use up 1 brain cell to put this together!
In Parliament he said he was in the process of asking world Bank to redirect some of its funding…… there’s nothing new here.
I want Skerrit to say what HIS government plans are regarding funding for covid-19
Unfortunately, as always, the money will end up in the wrong hands again!
What is this ? A grant ? A loan ? What are the terms ? Who will manage how this money is spent ? Why is the number so high – does Dominica really need as much as $6.6 million for coronavirus, with a population of around 60,000 ? This report needs more detail, the people of Dominica need more detail.
Note this is not new money. It is a re-allocation from two existing programmes, one of which is an emergency response project to restoring agricultural livelihood that was set up following the passage of Hurricane Maria.