A cross-section of prominent Dominicans continues to bemoan the economic situation of the country. They lament the rising debt profile of the current administration, the rising cost of living, and the dearth of economic opportunities in the country. The current crop of complainants is Dr. Thompson Fontaine, Lennox Linton, and Ronald Lander among others.
Economist Thompson Fontaine said the debt profile being raked up by the PM Rooseselt Skerrit administration will impact the coming generation in no small measure. He said the country’s youths will bear the brunt of the economic hardship through unemployment, high cost of living, lesser opportunities, and societal vices.
UWP opposition leader Lennox Linton who accused the present government of spending more than $150 million without recourse to parliamentary approval said the DLP administration is on a ruinous path. Linton lamented the increasing overdraft the government has been incurring over the years and noted that the government has not been transparent in its fiscal policies.
Financial consultant Ronald Lander’s national and regional analysis reveals that Dominica’s economic indicators are woeful. He said the country’s debt to GDP ratio is zero and that national debt is on the high side. He said hitherto profitable markets and industries are dying, and that economic performances are on the decline. He identified the banking sector and entrepreneurship as having the impact on the country’s situation.
Fontaine advised the government to revamp its socio-economic trajectory to benefit the citizens and to safeguard the wealth of the coming generation. Linton asked for government transparency and accountability while implementing policies that will be citizen-focused. Lander on the other hand urged the government to always weigh future economic trends and market movements vis-à-vis citizens’ interests and upliftments.
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