Dominica: Maiden Section of 11th Parliament debates welfare and development

Roseau: The Dominican House of Assembly held its first session of the Eleventh Parliament’s first meeting yesterday, February 7, 2023. The primary goal of the session was to ensure that the Commonwealth of Dominica is developed in every way while defending the safety of its citizens. During the event, an extensive debate was also on increasing agricultural activity and developing sustainable infrastructure.

The amendment to several acts was discussed by Dr Irving McIntyre, Minister of Finance, Economic Development, Resilience, and Social Security, who also suggests how the funds meant for Dominica’s development were used for the efficient running of numerous ongoing projects.

Regarding national security, Dr McIntyre emphasised that the current administration has implemented several measures, among which the E-passport is very important as it doubles security and encourages the entire Dominican population to obtain their E-passport.

The statistics that show that government spending or investments have a favourable effect on economic activity in Dominica were highlighted by Miriam Balchand, Minister of Labor, Public Service Reform, Social Partnerships, Entrepreneurship, and Small Business Development.

According to Miriam Balchand, Dominica is making good progress towards economic growth and is doing it faster than expected.

She also spoke about the favourable effects of the National Employment Programme on the level of employment in the nation. The program’s primary goal was to develop the skills of young people through various skill training programmes in public and commercial sectors; it will give them a chance to have a permanent income source.

Roland Royer, the Minister of Agriculture, claims that new farming equipment, fisheries, and a blue-green economy will accelerate productivity and anticipate to develop farming methods. He also mentioned building an agricultural complex, which will make it easier to research and develop various species and find innovative approaches to boost the nation’s agricultural productivity.

The Minister for Education, Human Resource Planning, Vocational Training, and National Excellence, Octavia Alfred, emphasised the value of education and the investment of $10 million, which was appropriate for all work being done at Dominica Grammar School.