Dominica Users Group – PM grants major project to Bajan firm

>From DNO

“Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit is defending his government’s decision to contract a foreign firm for the $22-million sea defense wall and rehabilitation project in for SoufriereSkerrit says there is a growing greed and selfishness among some contractors on the island. “We believe that we have the capacity and the brain and the know-all to take everything and forget about our brother and sister next door who do not have a contract,” he said.

>From Thomson
Well well, nothing more surprises me these days. Suddenly, Dominica has to support our “poor Bajan brothers”.  No doubt the firm will bring in Bajan workers while the thousands of unemployed Dominicans continue to wallow in poverty and joblessness. I wonder how much that has to do with a certain Hartley Henry. God help us.

Thomson

4 comments

  1. PM grants major project to Bajan firm
    As a former leading professional of the IMF, did it ever occur to you that
    what the Hon PM meant or could have meant was that the Government cannot be
    insular in its tendering of major projects and that to get the widest
    possible range of expertise, skill and competence, we should not prevent
    other companies from the region from tendering? Isn’t that true of the IMF,
    EU, CDB, France, Chinese and almost every one else? That these organizations
    and countries insist on either regional or wider tendering? Or, perhaps, he
    was just being sarcastic.

    One of the reason why you and others have made, and are making absolutely
    no traction, is that the majority of Dominicans are tired of this
    childishness!

  2. PM grants major project to Bajan firm
    Tony

    The Dominican people are a lot smarter than you give them credit for. If you are so concerned about the tendering process then why was’t the $27 million loan funded State House project NOT tendered. You take us for fools, but the day of reckoning will come !!!!

    Instead of you and Savarin spending hours trying to disparage me on your talk show, maybe you should explain to your listeners why your government sees it fit to outsource all major projects on the island while the country is faced with massive unemployment. Do the people a favor rather than wasting time on me with your endless hours of senseless talk. I am not what is wrong with Dominica.

    Today, the debate on agriculture is ongoing in Dominica, thanks to my ‘non-traction’ intervention!!!!

    Thomson

  3. PM grants major project to Bajan firm
    Tony

    You and your government need to explain to the Dominican people why you find it necessary to take taxpayers money and give it to foreign companies in an economy that is so depressed that our young people are going out of their minds with worry, boredom.
    and joblessness.

    It is time that you all are held accountable for the egregious wrongs you continue to perpetuate on the Dominican populace.

    thomson

  4. PM grants major project to Bajan firm
    Thomson,

    Just how dishonest can you get? The Government, like any other Government
    interested in the development of a country, will source funding on grant
    terms or at the least possible cost. If the PROC is prepared to provide
    grant funding and construction for projects or on beneficial terms, why
    shouldn’t the Government accept, even if the PROC will use their firms and
    personnel to do the construction? And when the IMF, World Bank, European
    union issue tenders, and foreigners are awarded the contracts by them, not
    the Government, what then?

    It is the declared policy and position of the PROC, which is universally
    accepted, that the PROC do the actual construction. They are doi8nmg do
    right now in Africa, Latin America, Asia, Antigua, Bahamas…….. As in all
    of these and other countries and continents, some local personnel is used.
    So we have a clear choice. If we want development and the PROC is prepared
    to do it we either let them do it or we do without

    – The Stadium
    – West Coast Highway
    – New State College
    – New Hospital
    – ETC ETC

    This obsession of your with CO Williams is parochial ignorance. *The sea
    defence wall is a Caribbean Development Bank Project*. As you must know the
    CDB’s funded projects go out to international tenders and that it is the CDB
    which makes the substantive decision to award the tender, not the
    Government. But what I really want to know is this; when the IMF awarded
    contracts to foreigners whether in DA or elsewhere, did you object and state
    that all IMF tenders and projects must be awarded to locals?

    Also when DA was in severe financial trouble in the early 2000s the
    Barbadian Government and other Governments in the region helped us. What do
    we tell them now? GFY?? We are part of a regional community and unless we
    want to be stupidly parochial, we have an obligation to consider our
    neighbours and, if they are better or best suited for the contract or
    project, we must award the tender to them. And this is the case when the
    CBD awards a tender and contract.

    Further, the recent poverty alleviation report for 2009 conducted by
    independent experts established that despite the regional and world
    recession, Dominica had one of the most significant reductions in and of
    poverty in the OECS in the last several years. The experts made specific
    mention of Dominica’s international relations and capital investment grants
    and assistance as one of the significant causes of this dramatic reduction.
    You can throw in for good measure, the YES WE CARE program, the housing
    revolution, the land reform and empowerment program, the many schools built,
    the primary care clinics, the transplantation for school children and so on
    and so on……etc etc.

    And I agree the Dominican people are very smart indeed. That is why your
    ignorance and dishonesty will go nowhere; except in cabalist sphere!!

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