As part of his efforts to redeem his electioneering campaigns to the Kalinago people and to develop the territory for a better life, PM Roosevelt Skerrit has given an $860,000 fund to the region. The Kalinago Development Fund (KDF) was disbursed to the Agricultural Industrial Development (AID) Bank where it will be given out to Kalinago descendents for economic empowerment.
The Kalinago Development Fund holds special significance and is another measure designed to enhance the lives of indigenous people. It is the result of an election promise made to my dear Kalingo people prior to the 2019 general elections. That promise was clearly articulated in the Dominica Labour Party’s Dynamic Dominika manifesto as well as in the 2021-2022 fiscal union budget address.
Hon. Roosevelt Skerrit, Prime Minister of Dominica
Launched on Wednesday, March 9, Skerrit said the KDF will facilitate access to loans that can be applied to economic and family enterprises. He said the fund will empower Kalinago natives to build wealth through investment in agriculture, commercial businesses, fishing, poultry, renewable energy, and any profitable activity geared at economic upliftment.
The prime minister said he is aware that many Kalinago natives are not able to access development loans from commercial banks and credit unions as a result of communal land ownership which cannot be used for collateral purposes. He said the new KDF initiative will remove this impediment and that people in the Kalinago Territory will be able to access quick loans for self-advancement and financial security.
From today, the Kalinago people are being afforded easier access to credit to build resilience, sustain livelihoods, increased earnings, and household incomes, and launch financially viable businesses. It guarantees an increase in employment levels due to a focus on enterprise development in the areas of crop production and processing, offshore fisheries, arts and craft and ancillary tourism industries.
Hon. Roosevelt Skerrit, Prime Minister of Dominica
To further boost the integrity of the Kalinago Development Fund, the prime minister said he will make a yearly deposit of at least $1 million into the fund starting from 2022-2023. He said the fund will make a revolving loan facility possible for everyone for a repayment period of six months to 10 years at an interest rate of only 2%.
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