PM Roosevelt Skerrit has announced that expatriates from the United States, China, and Spain will soon begin to arrive in Dominica to commence work on the proposed international airport in Woodfordhill and Wesley areas. Skerrit said the job undertaken by the expatriates will leave room for Dominicans to also find employment on the airport project.
According to Skerrit, the enormity of the airport construction project requires the importation of different skillsets and technical competences into the country. He said many of these skillsets are not available in Dominica or not enough at capacity. He listed these skills as covering airport construction, airport designs, and airport engineering among others.
The prime minister said it is normal practice in the Caribbean to bring in foreign expertise to help with airport constructions. He noted that while foreign experts spearhead the technical projects, local citizens are also employed to work alongside the expariates. While revealing that heavy equipment will soon begin to arrive into the country, he urged interested citizens to apply for available jobs.
One can well appreciate that a project of this magnitude will require a large quantity of equipment, which is not readily available in Dominica at the moment. We simply do not have the capacity. However, I wish to make it fundamentally clear that this does not preclude the engagement of local contractors and owners of heavy equipment who will have access to jobs during the life of this project.
Hon. Roosevelt Skerrit, Prime Minister of Dominica
Skerrit warned the opposition to work together with the DLP administration to bring economic and political advancement to Dominica. He tasked distractors to look at the bright side of things and stop being “enemies of progress.”
Meanwhile, president of the Dominica Public Service Union (DPSU), Steve Joseph, and leader of the United Workers Party (UWP), Dr. Thomson Fontaine, expressed reservations on giving “juicy jobs” to foreigners while local citizens remain unemployed. They argued that simple jobs such as movement of materials from the quarry are even given to foreigners while citizens watch helplessly.
This article is copyright © 2023 DOM767
