The Dominica Association of Industry and Commerce (DAIC), the leading Private Sector organization of Dominica, celebrates 50 years of existence and positive impact to Dominica and the businesses community.
From the inception of the Chamber on February 22, 1973, with the merger of the Dominica Chamber of Commerce and the Manufacturer’s Association, the guiding principle has been fostering the economic development of the local private sector as well as the socio-economic development of Dominica. The Chamber has played a key role from the 1970s in the convening of the private sector through special events, taking a key role in the constitutional change in government. In the 1980s, the Chamber played a pivotal role in the development of the National Development Foundation of Dominica as well as fostered an essential public private sector relationship under the leadership of Dame Eugenia Charles.
DAIC has continued to be valuable to the socio-economic development of Dominica through its strengthened advocacy, proactiveness in recommending and supporting the development of policies and programmes, strengthening relationships with key players in the public and private sectors and civil society, leading of support and business development programmes to advance the membership, and wider private sector by extension, fundamental contribution to disaster risk reduction and business continuity planning as seen post Hurricane Maria and during the impact of COVID-19. Most recently, the Chamber is delighted to have advocated for policies that have caused increased benefit to citizens by a reduction in income taxes as a result of individuals’ purchase of health and property insurance for increased resilience, the permanent reduction of land transfer fees, the increased attractiveness of Dominica as a home to pleasure crafts as well as led significant efforts to ensure business continuity through intentional risk reduction and risk management strategies.
We are extremely proud of the legacy that the Chamber has built over the last 50 years in Dominica, serving an audience that is critical to the advancement of Dominica. Though it has been 50 years, we understand that in business, the only constant is change. We, therefore, see this milestone as just a stepping stone towards the continued mandate of the Chamber in these rapidly evolving times and look forward to continuing on being of service over the coming years.
Brenton Hilaire, President of the DAIC
The Chamber expresses gratitude to all stakeholders who have underpinned our success over the years to include the Membership, Board of Directors, Staff Members of the Secretariat, the Government of Dominica, local, regional and international partners in the public and private sectors and the civil society, the media, among others.
The contribution of all has led to a strengthened Chamber that continues to deliver on impact and development of our private sector and community at large. We are pleased to serve on several national Boards, committees and other groups, ensuring the inclusion of the vital perspectives from the private sector. We understand that the advancement of our economy hinges on the success of our business community, and this discernment influences our member-value driven activities and our increasing engagement of Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) as well as our enhanced partnerships. We also believe that the success of Dominica’s economy will be dependent on the continued and strengthened partnership between the Government, Private Sector and Citizenry of Dominica.”t
Brenton Hilaire, President of the DAIC
DAIC is committed to continuing its leading role in influencing the business, economic and social environment of Dominica to facilitate the growth and development of the private sector through effective representation of the core interests in this evolving global economy and business environment. As the Chamber tagline encourages, ‘Embracing Opportunities and Challenges’, DAIC will amplify its efforts to ensure continued relevance, enhance its representation of registered businesses in Dominica and build and leverage solid partnerships for the socio-economic development of Dominica.
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