Prime Minister Hon. Roosevelt Skerrit has expressed profound gratitude to the people of Dominica for standing firm behind the Dominica Labour Party Government during its time of economic challenges.
The Prime Minister says his Government as other governments in the region a few years ago had to implement a debt-restructuring programme in order to meet its debt obligations.
Prime Minister Skerrit told a contract signing ceremony for the Bense Water Supply Project on Monday that back in 2002, the government led by Hon. Pierre Charles had to embark on a programme of fiscal stabilisation and adjustment in an effort to close the gap between revenue and expenditure.
“We had to go through the same challenge between 2000 and 2006, imposing taxes on the people of Dominica, cutting expenditure because we found ourselves in a situation where we couldn’t have paid salaries to public officers on time and we told you if you give us that support, if you are understanding and patient and if you allowed those measures to be implemented that we would one day see light at the end of the tunnel.”
Hon. Skerrit says this action warranted the understanding of the populace and his Government is grateful for the support and understanding of citizens during that time of restructuring.
“We want to continuously thank you for sticking by the Government and for allowing [us] to implement those measures. Today we are seeing the benefits of those measures implemented between 2000 and 2006.”
On the issue of the management of the economy, the Prime Minister said his Government continues to manage it in a capable way.
“This is why we continue to manage the resources of the state in a prudent and responsible manner. We have been responsive to the needs of Dominicans. The Government has no business building homes and fixing anybody’s homes but because we have compassion, love and understanding for the suffering people of Dominica we have spent millions of dollars helping residents of Dominica to improve their housing conditions.”
The Prime Minister in his remarks also spoke of Government’s achievements in the area of education and health.