Dominica government sets aside $149 million for airport

The prime minister of Dominica has confirmed that his government has been able to set around at least EC$149 million for the construction of an international airport.

Roosevelt Skerrit, who is also the Caribbean island’s minister of finance, was responding to a request from the main opposition to be made aware of the financial position of the Dominica Citizenship by Investment Programme.

Skerrit revealed that the government had been earmarking US$5 million a month towards the airport fund.

“We said in the parliament here of our intentions to build an international airport and the only reason why we are not more advanced now is because of the hurricane,” the prime minister said.

“This is the first government that has seriously pursued the international airport and EC$149,429,500 are in the account at the national bank. There is a standing order US$5 million each month.”

These funds are “sufficient to do all the earth movement” for the construction of the airport.

It will cost Dominica about US$220 million for an international airport, Skerrit has previously said.

Feasibility studies have been done and a possible location for the construction is also being considered by government.

The prime minister says that despite the government’s focus being shifted as a result of the last September’s hurricane, the money set aside for the airport has “not been touched yet”.