The Dominica Parliament has approved the schedule of supplementary estimates for the financial year July 2020 to June 2021, amounting to $275 million. Debate on the Supplementary Appropriation Bill ended on Tuesday, November 30 during the Second Meeting of the Second Session of the Tenth Parliament.
Major expenditure included $79 million allocated to the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development for land settlement and development and house renovation and sanitation; and $76 million to the Ministry of Health, Wellness & New Health Investment for COVID-19 response and the construction of health infrastructure.
$27 million was allocated to the Ministry of Public Works and the Digital Economy and $16 million to the Ministry of Education, Human Resource Planning, Vocational Training & National Excellence for payment of tuition and housing for Dominican students pursuing higher education at various universities and to facilitate payments to financial institutions for the 40 % Student Loan Debt Relief Facility.
Prime Minister and Minister for Finance, Economic Affairs & Planning, Hon. Roosevelt Skerrit said Government had wisely invested the funds to improve the economic circumstances of Dominican citizens.
Every single Dominican has been impacted by this $275 million. And I can say that this Labour Party Government can account and has been able to account for every single cent of this $275 million. This is $275 million that has been spent in the local economy, monies well spent and monies that can be accurately and properly accounted for by this Dominica Labour Party Government.
Hon. Roosevelt Skerrit, Prime Minister of Dominica
Hon. Gretta Roberts, the Minister for Governance, Public Service Reform, Citizen Empowerment, Social Justice and Ecclesiastical Affairs, who presented the bill to parliament, said the funds were spent to the benefit of all Dominicans.
“This government has always exercised prudence when dealing with the finances of the state and this is why our citizens continue to place their trust in us as a government to manage the affairs of this country. The additional spending speaks to the care, concern and empathy that we as a government has for the people of this country.
What is most noteworthy is that all these funds were mobilized during trying times, during the COVID-19 pandemic and this is the context in which we have debated the reasons for the supplementary estimates. We are tasked with managing the affairs of the state and we are determined to do so.
Hon, Gretta Roberts, Minister for Governance, Public Service Reform, Citizen Empowerment, Social Justice and Ecclesiastical Affairs
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