2024 – Navigating a New Progressive Era for Dominica

Over the past year, we have experienced and witnessed the beauty as well as the ugliness of our Nature Isle. We have said goodbye to loved ones including national icons whilst we have also welcomed newborns with hope that they will grow up in a better Dominica. We have had the pleasure of enjoying our land of pristine beauty, fresh water, and fresh air. To some degree, we have also enjoyed each other’s love, kindness, and charity. We are now stepping into a New Year and a call for New-Happy New Year Dominica.

We have witnessed and celebrated the accession of the first Kalinago and woman to the post of President in the Commonwealth of Dominica. And also, we sound our pride for the elevation of our young men who were called to play cricket for our West Indies Team.

But we have also experienced social and economic trauma even with the continuation of the housing revolution, construction of the international airport, and rehabilitation of the Pond Case to Marigot Road, as well as capital projects which are supposed to have stimulated economic growth and employment.

We have faced unprecedented black-outs resulting from the inadequacies and antiquity in Dominica Electricity Services operations.

We have also experienced a tumultuous and turbulent period with our Citizenship by Investment (CBI) programme, particularly with Visa restrictions imposed on Dominicans by the United Kingdom. and questionable arrangements between the government of Dominica and CBI Agents.

Let us not forget the lack of any real economic activity, and increased economic strain resulting from global inflation but more importantly mal-administration compounded with an absence of economic development plans, dreams and visions.

On the social landscape, we continue to experience numerous incidences of violence and crimes, exposure of weaknesses in our law enforcement agency, and a failure to resolve our differences. We have also had the bitter experiences of national division, rancor, uncertainty, victimization and nepotism in our public life.

Nonetheless, together with a group of nationals, I have renewed my determination to work towards nation-building for a new era. This would not have been my own goal, but I would be unhappy with myself if I failed and or refused to stand for Dominica – a Dominica who is crying out to her sons and daughters.

The year 2024 will be pivotal, and as a result, we should stand together for a movement which represents all – one that will press on to show unconditional love and determination to elevate the lives of our people with a renewed commitment to promoting peace, prosperity & progress.

As we bid farewell to the old year and usher in the new, we must embrace our commitment to make our environment greener, preserve our water resources, marine environment, and soil conservation. We must inject greater effort and capital into sports and cultural events and renew the zeal and enthusiasm of our people in national and community projects through volunteerism.

Along the way, we must renew our national spirit by inspiring farming and agriculture, clean and renewable energy including solar and wind, modernizing the way in which we do business, ago-processing, cottage industry and small business development.

We must look beyond the National Employment Programme (NEP) and develop new economic pillars which will create new jobs and better wages – an overall improvement in the welfare of our people.

We must create an enabling environment to stimulate the private sector, improve the efficiency of doing business, lower the cost of production and to put our nationals to work. We can only experience an elevated economy through employment – we must work! We must improve production and productivity! We have the resources, and we can do it!

We should earnestly apply new and sustainable development strategies in order to recover and grow our economy. The welfare of our children should be one of our top priorities, giving them the opportunities to obtain a good education and enjoy decent living conditions. Our young people should incentivize to remain on island by providing them with competitive opportunities to pursue their careers and chosen vocations. Our elderly people should have improved adequate, consistent, and equitable access to medical services and elderly care. Our women should feel secure and empowered to care for themselves and their families. The nation’s men must be inspired to lead their homes, families, and country.

As a nation must be resolute in putting forth our collective efforts to turn the tide and build on what we have at our disposal. We must strive to halt the evident decline in every sector. We must delve into the NEW!

We can and should do it! Therefore, let us support the NEW – a new way of thinking with refocused energy to foster a warm and pleasant atmosphere in our society. We are well able to foster a community of inclusion and dynamism, creativity, growth, and convenience with good living conditions, so that we the people can live happy lives, produce our best, and realize our dreams and visions.

Let us build homes and not just houses, grow love and unity and not just church buildings. Let us seek wisdom and not just education! We can do it!

May 2024 bring us success, love and light to guide us to a bright destination.

I pray for all of us a year filled with new hopes, new joys, and new beginnings; a year of milestone significance, signaling NEWNESS at the forefront of the national agenda as we confront the ills of our society over the next few months. We can and will find a way to do better with NEWNESS.

Dominica, I love you! Happy New Year and may peace, love and success be with us today and always!

For Love of Country

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