Roseau, Dominica – July 15, 2010………. The level of poverty in Dominica has fallen according to a recently completed Survey of Living Conditions.
This disclosure was made by Prime Minister and Minister for Finance, Hon. Roosevelt Skerrit during the presentation of the 2010-2010 Financial Statement and Budgetary Proposals to Parliament on Tuesday.
The report to be made public soon says in part:” The level of poverty has fallen from 39 percent in 2003 to 28.8% in 2009. Absolute poverty, as measured by the indigence rate, has also declined from 10 percent in 2003 to 3.1% in 2009”.
The Prime Minister has attributed the reduction in poverty to the programmes and policies that his Government has been pursuing for the last several years.
“When I addressed this House at this time last year I indicated that work had started on a new Survey of Living conditions. This was being done by a Trinidad and Tobago-based consulting firm with the support of the CDB. I said at the time that I was ‘confident that the survey results would bear us out- that the policies, programmes and projects of this Government have had a positive impact’,” Prime Minister Skerrit stated.
Hon. Skerrit continued that his Government “takes considerable pride in this massive achievement, as vindication for the considerable efforts we have been making to address the economic development imperatives of our time, while paying due social regard to the social and human development needs of the population”.
The Prime Minister revealed that his Government would carefully examine this latest Survey of Living Conditions.
“Government will be carefully examining the survey results for the insights that they will provide into the specific interventions that may be indicated for the continuing assault on the poverty situation in our country,” Prime Minister Skerrit concluded.
