Category: GIS Dominica inFocus (video)

Roseau, Dominica – February 11, 2008…………………….The Economic Partnership Agreement(EPA) between the European Union and CARIFORUM offers an opportunity for both sides to strengthen trade.   […]

Roseau, Dominica – February 7, 2008………… Dominica’s Prime Minister, Hon. Roosevelt Skerrit was among thousands of Dominicans who gathered at the new Windsor Park Sports […]

Roseau, Dominica – February 7, 2008…………The efforts of the Dominica Government to return the country to normal following the passage of Hurricane Dean has been boosted with the news that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Executive Board has approved SDR 2.05 million (US$3.3 Million) in emergency assistance for Dominica.

This information was revealed in a press release by the IMF issued on February 5, 2008.

On August 17, 2007 Hurricane Dean struck Dominica, causing widespread damage to the agricultural sector and significant damage to the island’s infrastructure. The damage caused by Hurricane Dean is estimated at 20 percent of Gross Domestic Product ($162 million).

Economic Growth is estimated to have slowed to 1 percent in 2007, mainly as a result of the devastating impact of Hurricane Dean on the economy, while the loss in export earnings in 2007 and 2008 is estimated at 4 percent of GDP.

Roseau, Dominica – February 6, 2008………… Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Hon. Matthew Walter has reiterated Government’s commitment to the agricultural sector in Dominica.

The Minister gave that commitment to farmers along the West Coast during a tour of their farms recently. The Minister visited farmers at Milton, Syndicate and Grand Savanne, his third visit to farmers’ holdings in different parts of the country since his appointment as Minister for Agriculture in October, 2007.

At a Town Hall Meeting in Coulibistrie at the end of the farm visits, Hon. Matthew Walter outlined the significant financial resources being invested in the sector.

Roseau, Dominica – January 18, 2008…………. Dominica’s Prime Minster, Hon. Roosevelt Skerrit has reported on his success in securing grant financing of US$15 million (approximately $40 million ECD) from the Government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela for the construction of a new headquarters to house the OECS Secretariat.

The Dominican Leader, who is also Chairman of the OECS Authority, made the announcement at his first press conference for the New Year, 2008 held at the Financial Centre recently.

According to Hon. Skerrit, he was given the mandate by his OECS colleague Heads to engage friendly governments and organisations with a view to raising the required financing to build a new headquarters for the OECS Secretariat in Castries, St. Lucia.

Roseau, Dominica – January 31, 2008…… Thousands of Dominicans are now seeing the benefits  of the income tax relief measures promised  by Prime Minister and Minister for Finance, Hon. Roosevelt Skerrit  in his 2007/2008 Budget Address last July with the payment of January salaries by Government.

A taxpayer earning $1500 per month will be $600 a year better off as a result of the income tax adjustment. A person earning $2000 per month will be $720 a year better off, while an individual earning $2500 a month will be $840 a year better off.

A taxpayer earning $3000 per month will be $1260 per year better off while one earning $4000 a month will be $1700 a year better off.

In addition, as a result of the increase in the non-taxable personal allowance, an additional 1,036 persons will no longer pay any income tax. Taking into account those persons who have filed returns with the Inland Revenue Division (IRD), the total number of exempt persons is a minimum of 3,149.

Roseau, Dominica – January 16, 2008……………….. There is a revolution now taking place in the education sector in Dominica. Prime Minister, Hon. Roosevelt Skerrit made the announcement at the twenty-fourth inaugural meeting of the Vieille Case Village Council recently.

In his address the Prime Minister impressed upon the parents in the community of the importance of having education as a major priority for their children. Hon. Skerrit, a former College lecturer recalled how many children from Vieille Case did not attend a secondary school back then, “not because we were not bright, not because we did not pass the Common Entrance but because we were engaged in a competitive environment which allowed for only a few of us to have access to a secondary school”.

” Today, from 2005 through the efforts of the Ministry of Education and the Minister and the Government of Dominica, every single child from this village who goes to grade 6 has a space at the Portsmouth Secondary School,” Hon. Skerrit stated.

Roseau, Dominica – January 29, 2008…………. Progress is being reported on the Melville Hall Airport Upgrade Project with arriving passengers now being received at the extension of the terminal building now under construction.

On Monday, January 28, 2008, Minister for Ports, Hon. Charles Savarin invited the media to the Melville Hall Airport to witness for themselves arriving passengers now going through customs and immigration at the extension of the old terminal building. The transfer of operations of customs and immigration took effect on Sunday, January 20, 2008.

Moving customs and immigration to the new section now allows the contractors access to the section previously used to process customs and immigration so as to continue with the renovation programme with the intention of having a single refurbished terminal building upon completion.

Roseau, Dominica – January 24, 2008…………. Former Energy Minister and Minister with responsibility for PetroCaribe affairs, Hon. Reginald Austrie has confirmed that an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) was conducted with respect to the  construction of the Fuel Storage and Distribution Facility at Jimmit.

The Minister made the disclosure in response to a claim made by the former President of the Waitukubuli Ecological Foundation(WEF), Mr. Bernard Wiltshire that Hon. Reginald Austrie and by extension the Government of Dominica had lied to the people of Dominica and had not conducted an EIA with respect to the construction of the Venezuelan-funded US$20 million facility now nearing completion at Jimmit.