The Government of Dominica has received a commitment from the Chinese Government to finance the reconstruction of the West Coast Road.
The Edward Oliver Leblanc Highway or West Coast Road suffered major infrastructural damage during Tropical Storm Erika.
The Hon. Prime Minister, Roosevelt Skerrit made the announcement on Friday, November 13th.
“That will include the bridges, the landslides and failures which we have seen undermine the road and a number of interventions which will mitigate [another occurrence. This is a major commitment of assistance and we are very grateful to the Government and people of China for this pledge. This is good news for all Dominicans so we should be thankful to the Chinese Government.”
A commitment to assist with the resettlement of those who were displaced by the storm is also forthcoming from the Government of the People’s Republic of China.
“These are two critical areas where the Chinese Government will be assisting Dominica in its reconstruction and recovery. I would like to place on public record on behalf of the Government and people of Dominica, our sincerest gratitude to the Government and people of China for this generous offer. I must mention that this is a grant- not a loan and it’s a gift to us in response to the storm,” he said.
The Hon. Prime Minister was speaking at a press conference to update the nation on his activities as he continues to solicit assistance to rebuild the country.
About his recent trip to south-east Asia to seek investment opportunities, he said, "I must tell you that there are tremendous opportunities for Dominica in south-east Asia. It is a emerging market, huge populations, a wealth of natural resources and a great opportunity for business for Dominica."
“The response there was overwhelming particularly with regards to our Citizenship by Investment Programme. As you know, we have had the programme since 1993 and continue to promote it; we have made significant changes to it in the last year. People are keen on the product which Dominica is offering and I believe that in the next 6-18 months we will see increased business coming to the Citizenship by Investment Programme.”
The nation’s leader also informed of on an upcoming OECS Authority Meeting which will take place in Dominica on November 18th and 19th.