DOMINICA: Hon Prime Minister Dr. Roosevelt Skerrit has informed the Dominican populace of urgent interventions being made to enhance the safety of citizens in a number of locations across the country.
Rehabilitation works will take place along west, east and south east coasts and the Roseau Valley.
The Hon. Prime Minister was speaking at the contract signing ceremony for projects for the Roseau Valley Constituency room when he made the announcement on Tuesday, April 26th.
He said, “…The Chinese Government will be underwriting a significant portion of the West Coast rehabilitation including the three bridges which were washed away by Tropical Storm Erika. The Government of the United Kingdom has indicated its strong commitment and will provide no less than £25m to us. We have decided that those monies will be earmarked for the Loubiere-Pichelin-Bagatelle-Geneva-Fond St. Jean areas.
“We have some funds from the World Bank under the Disaster Vulnerability Reduction Programme which we will be spending heavily in the Castle Bruce-Kalinago Territory towards Pagua then to Castle Bruce-San Sauveur-Petite Soufriere areas.
“We have some funding for that [although] we do not have all that is required for for the comprehensive works but for some of critical areas, we have the funds.”
To facilitate these projects in the quickest time, the Prime Minister stated that $30m has been allocated for immediate work to be done around the island and will be sourced from a loan from the International Monetary Fund and by the Citizenship by Investment Program.