Dominica Budget 2025 Highlights: Tourism Booms with 9.9% Rise in Arrivals, Cruise Visits Up 83%

Dominica Budget 2025 Live: Finance Minister Irving McIntyre Concludes Bold Budget Address Focused on Growth, Resilience and Opportunity 

Wrapping up the 2025–2026 Budget Address in Parliament, Finance Minister Irving McIntyre outlined a bold roadmap aimed at strengthening Dominica’s economy, modernising key sectors, and improving the quality of life for citizens.  

He said, “There are still challenges but we cannot ignore of how we are growing.” The Minister concluded by saying that today Dominica has become one of the most desirables places to live in the Caribbean and added, “We are attracting and individuals from across the globe who choose Dominica for its natural beauty, peace, safety and quality of life. That alone speaks volumes about success of our policies and a growing confidence in our country.” 

Dominica Budget 2025 Live: Opportunities Knock Housing Program at 2% Interest Rate 

While quoting, “Opportunities knock Housing Program at 2% interest rate for police and public officers,” Minister Irving McIntyre made a significant announcement the government is introducing a special housing loan, targeting public and police officers. 

He said that in government’s continued effort to make home ownership more accessible and affordable, particularly for low-income owners, the government is introducing a special housing loan, targeting public officers.  

According to him, an initial sum of $10 million will be allocated to the government housing loan program to provide low-interest housing loans to public officers and police earning a basic annual salary of $45,000 or less.  

These loans will be offered at an interest rate of just 2%, significantly easing their burden of home ownership. A six-month grace period will also be applied, giving beneficiaries time to advance construction before repayment begins, he explained.  

Dominica Budget 2025 Live: 382 Homes Delivered in 2024-2025 

While shedding light on the Housing Recovery Project in Dominica, the Minister said that it had made a significant impact by delivering 382 homes and resolving land holding issues for 172 families. He said that in addition to improving living conditions, the project generated employment for hundreds and created meaningful opportunities for local contractors and businesses across the country. 

He further noted that works have started on modern homes under the future housing development programme as well. According to him, “There are presently two modern homes under construction at one of the site While a third one is to be constructed at cotton Hill in Portsmouth. One of the three homes are being completed, and applicants are being invited to select their designs.” 

He noted that young professionals and public officers can assess requisite financing and consent terms as government has already negotiated special interest rates with the national bank of Dominica, which is partnering with them on this programme. 

In addition, Minister McIntyre stated that the government sold 45 housing lots last year and, in the current fiscal year, they will make available for sale 177 lots, the majority of which will be sold to the public and police officers at concessionary rates. Furthermore, work is underway to regulate the rental property market, including revising rent control legislation to balance the interests of tenants and landlords and ensure affordable rental housing. 

Dominica Budget 2025 Live: Govt Cuts VAT, Import Duties on Food and Essentials Starting Oct 1 

MOMENTS AGO in Parliament: The Minister of Finance announced major VAT and import duty cuts on dozens of essential food items. 

Starting October 1st, the government will be expanding the list of exempted items in the upcoming financial year for a period of six months. The Minister said that there will be exemption of VAT on fish, onions, garlic, split peas, red beans, black eyes peas, lentils, pigeon peas, cornmeal, oats, canned corn, beef, canned herring, canned sardines, canned tuna, cereals, wheat bran etc.  

The VAT will also be exempted on biscuits, orange juice, tomato, ketchup, toothpaste, laundry detergents, toilet paper, sanitary napkins and the government will also remove import duty on pigeon peas, luncheon meat, canned corn, beef, cereals, biscuits, orange juice, tomato ketchup, toothpaste, laundry detergent, almond milk and soy milk. 

Dominica Budget 2025 Live: Govt to Boost Waste Management with New Trucks 

While addressing the challenges of waste management, the finance minister said, the government will reform the operations of the Dominica solid waste management operations so that it could better fulfil its mandate with greater efficiency and ensuring timely collection. 

To support this effort, the Minister said that the government is undertaking several initiatives during this fiscal year. Among these are the procurement of six new garbage trucks, two of which will arrive by August while remaining four are currently on road and are expected to arrive by October 2025.  

He further added, “We have begun work on decentralisation of the land from stock farm to relieve pressure on a single location and better serve communities. In other areas, we will establish a dedicated dump side for vehicles while white goods entitle to address environment and safety concerns.” 

Furthermore, the Minister added that the Government will also purchase 4 additional tipper trucks to enhance the collection and disposal process. 

Dominica Budget 2025 Live: Cabrits Marina Construction on Track for Completion by 2026 

Talking about the major infrastructural project in Dominica ‘Cabrits Marina’, the Minister was pleased to report that the construction of the cabrits Marina is progressing on schedule. He said that the marina remains a key pillar in government’s strategic plan to position Dominica as a premier destination for marine tourism.  

He reported that it is one of the projects which is currently underway, and it involves critical foundational infrastructure, including the marina basin and breakwater. According to the Minister, this phase is expected to be completed by June 26 and is being executed with proper inheritance with international engineering standards. 

Phase 2 of the marina development which will commence procurement activities in August 2025, followed by construction in January 2026, will deliver the core operational features of the marina, said that Minister. On the other hand, Phase 3 will address all remaining utilities and supporting infrastructure, ensuring that the marina is fully equipped to handle the needs of the visiting vessels. This final phase is expected to be completed by November 2026.  

Not only that, but the government of Dominica has also identified a reputable and experienced marina operator. Importantly, once operational, the Cabrits Marina will unlock far-reaching opportunities in the island nation's yachting and maritime tourism sector, generating direct and indirect jobs, stimulating surrounding businesses, and enhancing Dominica's presence on the global map.

Dominica Budget 2025 Live: 10MW Geothermal Plant on Track for December 2025 Commissioning 

With regards to Roseau Valley Geothermal Power Plant, Minister McIntyre noted that the construction of the 10 MW geothermal power plant is on schedule. “The turbines generators pipelines to the geothermal wells and cooling systems are on site and installation works are progressing.” 

He said that the testing of the various components of the power plant will commence in October of this year with commissioning planned for the end of December 2025. 

Furthermore, he said that public education efforts, ranging from community to school consultations and private sector engagement, are also building national awareness as the country plans geothermal expansion and commercial use for the transmission network to support the shift to 100% renewable energy efficiency.  

“We are operating our geothermal network at a cost of $116.1 million, starting with a resilient Hurricane Category 5-tested system connecting the Roseau Valley to Fond Cole,” he added. 

Dominica Budget 2025 Live: Airport Upgrades Boost Arrivals 

Minister McIntyre, in his budget address, further noted that upgrades to the Douglas Charles airport, including installation of runway lighting, extension and grooving have significantly enhanced the airport’s capacity and reliability coupled with direct negotiations with major carriers, these improvements have led to increase in arrivals into Dominica, especially from North American markets.  

In addition, he added that, Caribbean Airlines will come to Dominica from San Juan, beginning next month further strengthening our regional and international links. We continue to implement our aggressive road development strategies to secure airline commitments ahead of the commissioning of the international airport.  

According to him, in addition to the direct flights from major carriers such as American airlines and United airlines, we are pursuing direct flights from Toronto, Atlanta and St Thomas. While discussions with other regional and international airlines, including British Airways, Virgin Atlantic and Condor are going and promising these actions are not only increasing arrivals in short-term but also proactively positioning Dominica to benefit from increase airlift as soon as the new airport becomes operational, emphasised Minister Irving McIntyre. 

Dominica Budget 2025 Live: Tourism Booms with 9.9% Rise in Arrivals, Cruise Visits Up 83% 

Shedding light on the whopping numbers achieved in the tourism sector, the Finance Minister of Dominica said that this sector is one of the main driving forces of the economy, contributing significantly to employment, foreign exchange earnings and community development.  

He noted that in fiscal year 2024-2025 visitor arrivals increased by 9.9% over the previous year and 66.4% over the pre-pandemic levels, stay over visitors exceeded pre-pandemic levels by 35.1% and cruise arrivals doubled with an 83% increase. 

Moreover, there was a 35% increase in visitor arrivals for Mas Domnik 2025 and 9% increase for the World Creole Music Festival. Hotel occupancy doubled during the 2024-2025 period, reflecting the growing appeal of Dominica’s festivals and events, added McIntyre.  

Dominica Budget 2025 Live: 549 MSMEs Benefit from EC $25.8M in Low-Interest Loans 

As of June 30, 2025, 549 MSME’s received a total of EC$25.8 millions in low interest loans from the bank, supporting expansion, equipment purchases and job creations.

Finance Minister reiterated that as part of their commitment to support MSMEs, the government will host an EXPO, showcasing Dominica's products to major players in the regional market. 

“This will enhance market access, visibility and investment opportunities for our businesses,” he noted.  

Dominica Budget 2025 Live: New Rebates and Crop Insurance to Drive Agriculture Towards EC $700M GDP Goal by 2030 

Continuing his budget address, Finance Minister Dr. Irving McIntyre outlined ambitious initiatives to modernize Dominica’s agriculture and blue economy, focusing on increased production, value-added processing, food security, and export growth. 

He said that these initiatives are “focused on increasing overall production, enhancing the sector’s contribution to national GDP and creating new avenues for farmers to benefit from agro-processing and exports. By boosting output and investing in value-added production, these initiatives aim to modernize the sector, improve food security and open income-generating opportunities for farmers in both local and export markets.” 

Incentives and Rebate Program  

McIntyre said that the government is set to roll out a comprehensive rebate program which will act as a partnership between the government and the farmers. This programme will apply to specific commodities and production systems, offering cost-sharing for key investments: 

• Poultry: Farmers investing in housing and infrastructure for a minimum of 5,000 broilers (including stock and feed) will receive a rebate of 40% of the cost, up to a maximum of $20,000. 
• Protected Agriculture (Hydroponics/Enclosures): 
• Fully enclosed systems (including hydroponics): 50% rebate up to $20,000 
• Partially enclosed systems: 50% rebate up to $9,000 
• Citrus: 50% rebate of costs for establishment, up to $2,000 per acre. 
• Cocoa: 
• Establishment: 50% rebate up to $2,200 per acre 
• Rehabilitation: 50% rebate up to $1,500 per acre 
• Coffee: 
• Establishment: 50% rebate up to $2,200 per acre 
• Rehabilitation: 50% rebate up to $1,500 per acre 

Moreover, considering the current vulnerability of agricultural sector to natural disasters, the Minister highlighted that a crop insurance scheme will be implemented to protect farmers from the catastrophic losses. The scheme will prioritise vulnerable commodities, such as plantain, bananas, and other hydro crops in the first instance. 

These interventions, according to the Minister, will further strengthen Dominica’s food system and move the island closer to the 2030 goal of EC $700 million contribution from agriculture to GDP. 

Dominica Budget 2025 Live: Medicinal Cannabis Development 

Talking about the Medicinal Cannabis Development, the Minister noted that in 2024 budget presentation, the highlighted its commitment to the development of comprehensive legislation that allows safe access to cannabis products for medicinal and therapeutic use while creating economic opportunities for growers and processors of cannabis plant. 

The Minister expressed his pleasure in reporting that in March 2025, the cabinet approved the establishment of the National Advisory Committee on Medicinal Cannabis to guide the strategic development of Dominica's cannabis industry. 

He outlined that this multidisciplinary body comprises a broad cross-section of stakeholders and experts, including international recognized cannabis researcher and Dominican national doctor, Marshall Emmanuel, whose appointment as technical advisor was announced during last year's budget address. 

The Minister said that a major milestone was the successful hosting of the National Cannabis Symposium earlier this month, which brought together regional and international experts, academics, industry professionals and members of the Rastafarian community. 

He reiterated that the government will explore the potential for value added production within the cannabis industry and provide the development of locally manufactured products such as oils, teas, balms, creams and other wellness items.  

The Minister also confirmed that there is no no doubt that Dominica, because of its rainfall and quality of soil, possesses a huge advantage for the cultivation of high quality cannabis. “As we move to finalize and present the Medicinal Cannabis Bill to Parliament in the coming months, we extend our sincere gratitude to all those involved in this complex and historic process, especially the Ministry of Agriculture for its leadership and our regional partners for sharing valuable insights from your experience,” he concluded.  

Dominica Budget 2025 Live: $130 Million Invested in Agriculture and Fisheries 

While highlighting the agriculture sector, Dr McIntyre said that over EC$130 million has been invested to restore and modernise agriculture and fisheries.  

“These investments are in fulfilment of government's commitment to increase agricultural production and hence enhance agro processing output, improve Dominica's brand and expand our market share locally, regionally and internationally,” he said. 

The Minister noted that the crop subsector last fiscal year and the island nation’s thrust towards the economic advancement of the sector, strategic interventions were prioritised as relates to the five C’s strategy. That is coconut, citrus, coffee, cocoa and cannabis. 

In respect of coconut and cocoa, the government ensured the distribution of planting materials in excess of 10,000 coconut plants, distributed to 188 farmers and 17,000 cocoa plants to 85 farmers. 

As it relates to citrus, construction is nearing completion of the 7.7 million Modern Citrus Certification Facility at Londonderry. He stressed that this facility will enhance Dominica's capacity to produce certified, high quality citrus planting material in line with international standards, thereby strengthening the resilience and competitiveness of the citrus industry. 

“This facility has the capacity to produce up to 50,000 citrus plants and will support increased production, improve crop quality, and expand market access for farmers,” outlined Dr McIntyre.  

He further reported that the agricultural Science and Tissue Culture Laboratory, built with a grant from the People's Republic of China, is fully staffed and operational and they will now begin mass propagation of disease free planting material for key crops such as banana, plantains, tania, dashing sweet cassava, white potatoes, sweet potatoes, vanilla and pineapples. 

Moreover, as the island continue on their ambitious path to transform the agricultural sector, Minister Irving McIntyre highlighted the commencement of the ninth phase of the China Aid Dominica Agricultural Technical Cooperation Program. 

He called it a ‘significant’ milestone and another proud chapter in the long standing partnership between the government of Dominica and the People's Republic of China. 

Dominica Budget 2025 Live: Capital Expenditure: $661.7 Million 

Finance Minister further announced that for fiscal year, capital spending is set at $661.7 million, slightly down from last year’s estimates but $58.2 million higher than the actual 2024–2025 spending. 

Allocations include: 

• Office of the Prime Minister: $357 million 
• Public Works, Public Utilities and the Digital Economy: $131.3 million 
• Environment, Rural Modernization, Kalinago Upliftment: $42.9 million 
• Agriculture, Fisheries, Blue and Green Economy: $23.4 million 
• Housing and Urban Development: $18.4 million 
• Finance, Economic Development and Climate Resilience: $14.2 million 
• Education: $14.8 million 
• Culture, Youth, Sports and Community Development: $15.7 million 
• Health: $10 million 
• Tourism: $5.6 million 
• Labour and Small Business: $3.5 million 
• Foreign Affairs and Trade: $3.5 million 
• National Security: $2.8 million 
• Elections: $3.8 million 
• Office of the President: $0.8 million 
• Establishment Personnel and Training: $0.7 million 

Dr. McIntyre said these allocations support “strategic investments in transformative infrastructure projects, economic resilience and excellent service delivery.” 

Dominica Budget 2025 Live: Education, Security and Public Utilities Feature Prominently in Allocations 

Following the announcement of the largest allocations to the Ministry of Finance ($292 million) and the Ministry of Health ($72.8 million), Finance Minister Dr. Irving McIntyre detailed further distributions across key sectors. 

Under the Finance Ministry, $128 million is earmarked for debt servicing, and $7.3 million for retirement benefits. He emphasized that pensioners would continue to receive their payments on time, noting, “We increased their pensions by 2% and have committed to adjusting their pensions based on inflation every three years.” 

The allocation also includes $8.4 million for Dominica’s contribution to the Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility (CCRIF), covering cyclones, earthquakes, and rainfall risks. 

The Ministry of Education has been allocated $71.3 million (10.5%), while the Ministry of National Security receives $69.2 million (10.2%). The Ministry of Public Works and Public Utilities will see an allocation of $57.4 million (8.4%). 

Budget Allocations by Ministry 

Finance Minister Dr. Irving McIntyre outlined the key allocations in the 2025–2026 national budget: 

• Foreign Affairs, International Business, Trade and Energy: $22.7 million 
• Cabinet Office: $3.4 million 
• Labour, Public Service Reform, Social Partnership, Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development: $2.3 million 

Breakdown of Recurrent Expenditure 

• Goods and Services: $232.7 million (34%) 
• Personal Emoluments: $180.1 million (26%), which includes $12 million for negotiated public sector salary increases 
• Transfers and Subsidies: $133.6 million (20%), covering public assistance, statutory authorities such as the Dominica-China Friendship Hospital, and contributions to international bodies 
• Interest Payments: $49.7 million 
• Debt Amortization and Sinking Fund: $78.3 million 

Dominica Budget 2025 Live: Finance Ministry Receives Highest Budget Allocation, Health Sector Follows 

Finance Minister Irving McIntyre has finally unveiled Dominica’s Budget 2025-2026, announcing the recurrent budget allocation with Finance Ministry receiving the highest allocation of $292 Million which is 43% of the total budget.  

On the other hand, Ministry of Health received the 2nd largest budget allocation with $72.8 million which marks 10.7 percent of the total budget. 

Dominica Budget 2025 Live: Economic Growth Outlook for 2025 

Talking about the economic growth outlook for 2025, Dr. McIntyre projected that Dominica’s economy will grow by 4.2% of GDP by the end of 2025, showing a stronger pace than 2024. He also noted that inflation is expected to stabilize at around 2%, which is broadly in line with U.S. price trends. 

He further said that the current account deficit is forecasted to narrow to around 15 to 16% of GDP by 2027-2028 and emphasised that for the 2025-2025 fiscal year, Dominica is projected to return to a primary surplus of 1% of GDP.  

Revenue Expectations 

According to the finance minister, further expansions in tax revenue will proceed throughout the year to all major tax categories growth by an average of 4.5 % with improvements also expected in non-tax revenue as CBI inflows remain elevated.  

Expenditure Trends 

Expenditure growth for this fiscal year showing by 9.6% increase in capital expenditure over the actual capital expenditure for last fiscal year. As a result the capital expenditure is now equivalent to 32% of GDP, said the Minister.  

Meanwhile, he added, that the recurrent expenditure is expected to grow by 7.6% over actual expenditure for last year, and by 0.1% above last year’s budgeted estimate, mainly because of allocations for personnel costs. 

Looking ahead, McIntyre said that the outlook for the 2026-2027 and 2027-2028 suggest further improvements in the fiscal balances as revenues continue to grow in line with the projected economic expansion and total expenditures levels up.  

Dominica Budget 2025 Live: Revenue Surges on VAT and CBI, $603M Poured into Infrastructure 

Moving forward, Dr. McIntyre acknowledged a change in the fiscal position and said that there was a slight decline in government fiscal position in 2024-2025, moving from a primary of 1.5% of GDP in the previous year to a deficit of 0.6%. 

"However, fiscal year 2024–2025 has had the strongest revenue performance record as well as the high areas of collection of the economic activity and improvement in tax administration,” he explained. 

On revenues, he reported strong growth and noted that, “There was growth in revenue collection with all the major categories surpassing collections of the previous year. VAT performed exceptionally well, exceeding budget estimates by 3% and surpassing collections for the previous year by $9 million. The VAT now accounts for 41% of total tax revenues. Tax on income and profits also had a strong performance, surpassing budget expectations, as well as last year’s collections.” 

Non-tax revenues were supported largely by the Citizenship by Investment (CBI) programme. “Non-tax revenue supported mainly by CBI inflows grew by 3.1% over that of the previous year. The CBI continues to be a critical source of financing mainly for capital expenditure and accounts for roughly 58% of total revenues,” the finance minister stated. 

Expenditure also showed significant trends. “Overall outlay for current has increased slightly by 1.3%. Expenditure on fiscal environment as well as transfer and subseries is registered, increases while interest payments and spending on goods and services declined. It should be noted that total recurrent expenditure fell well in the budget estimates for this year,” Dr. McIntyre said. 

He highlighted a major increase in capital spending saying, “Fiscal year 2024–25, notable increase in capital expenditure equivalent to 31% of GDP reflecting the ongoing infrastructure development push as government continues to invest heavily in economic infrastructure, resulting in capital expenditure of $603.5 million.” 

Dominica Budget 2025 Live: Finance Minister Highlights Strong 2024 Growth, GDP and Economic Trends 

During the budget address 2025-2026, Finance Minister Dr. Irving McIntyre, began by stating, “I will now give an overview of our achievements over the present year 2025, 2026 budget estimates and outline our plans for the year ahead.” 

In his presentation, Dr. McIntyre highlighted the impact of global uncertainty on economic performance. He said, “The swift acceleration of tension and extremely higher levels of political uncertainty are having a significant bank on global economic, according to the World Economic Outlook Report of April 2025. Global growth is estimated at 2.8 in 2025 with projections of represent into six. Growth in advanced economies is projected to be 1.4% in 2025 and in emerging markets and development, economic growth is expected to slow down by 3.7% in 2025 and 3.9% in 2026.” 

Speaking about the region, the finance minister added that regional economic activity in the Eastern Caribbean Union expanded in 2024 by 3.6% and is expected to continue with projections of 3.2% and 3.4% for 2025 and 2026 respectively. “I am happy to report that in keeping up with regional trends, Dominica’s real GDP is estimated to have grown by 3.5% in 2024. This growth was fuelled by robust wholesale and retail trade, a very ambitious public investment program, increase in tourism activity and growth in agricultural output,” he added.  

He noted that inflation had eased, saying, “Rate of inflation also declined slightly, averaging 3.1% in 2024 down from 3.5% in 2023 due to the easing of food and commodity prices. The current account deficit is estimated to have narrowed by 2% to 32.2% of GDP in 2024 but remains above its norm due to import-heavy infrastructure projects. Currently our debt-to-GDP ratio hovers around 89%.” 

Dominica Budget 2025 Live: Finance Minister Dr. Irving McIntyre Unveils Budget 2025 Theme

Amid high anticipation and high public interest, the Finance Minister Dr. Irving McIntyre stepped onto the podium after a powerful address from Sylvanie Burton, the President of Dominica, to deliver a critical address on the 2025 Finance Bill. 

He began his address by telling the parliament that the theme for this year’s Budget is ‘Balance in Resilient Development and Fiscal Discipline for Sustainable Growth’. 

Dominica Budget 2025 Live: President Highlights CBI Programme’s Legacy and Impact on Nation Building 

During the presentation of Dominica’s EC $1.21 B Budget 2025 in Parliament, President Sylvanie Burton placed strong emphasis on the role of the Citizenship by Investment (CBI) programme in shaping the country’s development and resilience over the last three decades. 

“The CBI programme, introduced in 1993, is now one of the world’s longest running economic internship programmes,” the President stated. “Dominica has also been placed in the top spot of the CBI Index ranking several times. Thanks to the 20 years of unwavering commitment to the programme of this current administration, the nation has been able to achieve transformation.” 

She noted that as part of regional efforts to strengthen the programme, a recent OECS Meeting was held in Antigua earlier in April during which concerns were addressed to improve CBI programmes across the region and a Memorandum of Understanding was also signed.  

She further underscored that the contribution of the CBI programme to Dominica’s economy and sustainable development has been “immense,” highlighting that “its revenues over the years have funded national projects in infrastructure, healthcare, education, housing, tourism and climate resilience.” 

While listing recent projects supported by the programme, she said, “Lately, a new international airport, geothermal energy, major hotel developments, climate-resilient homes, 12 new health centres, school construction and renovation, the new Marigot Hospital, the tablets initiative, Marina Portsmouth, and the cable car, to name a few. These initiatives have the power to transform our economic landscape and improve lives across Dominica.” 

Furthermore, she addressed the critics and noted, “Over the years, the CBI investment programme has come under various attacks from critics and traditional media and across social media platforms, but let us declare: these voices do not have the interests of Dominica at heart. Their mission is not to build, but to break down; not to uplift, but to undermine. What their problem is, is not national progress, but personal and political agenda.” 

She firmly described the programme as “a lifeline for Dominica,” adding, “It has helped us heal after disasters, supported infrastructure, improved healthcare and education, and created thousands of opportunities for our people. It is without question the goose that lays the golden eggs, and we must not allow anyone to kill it.” 

Dominica Budget 2025 Live: President Burton Hails CBI Programme, Calls it ‘Lifeline for Dominica’ 

President Sylvanie Burton has hailed the Citizenship by Investment (CBI) programme as a "lifeline for Dominica" and emphasised its crucial role in the country's development and resilience. Speaking ahead of the 2025 budget presentation, President Burton highlighted the programme's significant contributions to Dominica's growth and progress. 

"The citizenship by investment programme is a vital pillar for our country's development. It deserves to be protected and defended. I pray daily for its sustainability. Without this programme, our current progress would have been catastrophic," President Burton said. 

Addressing Challenges through CBI Programme

She recalled that Dominica has endured tremendous disasters from Hurricane David in 1979, Tropical Storm in 2015, Hurricane Maria in 2017, the impacts of COVID 19, climate change and global conflicts to name of few. 

According to her, Tropical storm Erica affected over 90% of the country’s GDP while Hurricane Maria’s impact was around 226%. In response, the government acted swiftly and wisely positioning as an innovative resilient nation open to responsible investment, she said. 

The President added that consequently, the government has strengthened the CBI programme by enhancing transparency, compliance with international standards, rigorous diligence procedures, and the integrity of the programme. This responsible approach has earned invested, trust and positioned Dominica as a leader in the CBI industry. 

Dominica Budget 2025 Live: President Burton Recalls Historic Electoral Reform in Dominica 

During her address, President Sylvanie burton recalled the historic parliamentary sitting where three significant bills on electoral reform and modernization were unanimously passed, marking a major milestone in Dominica's reform journey. 

The bills, passed on Wednesday, March 19, 2025, include: 

1. The Registration of Electoral Act 2025 

2. The House of Assembly Elections Act 2025 

3. The Electoral Commission Act 2025 

President Burton said that these laws aim to modernize Dominica's electoral framework, enhancing the registration process, elections, and the operations of the Electoral Commission. 

Dominica Budget 2025 Live: President Sylvanie Burton Arrives 

As Dominica prepares to present its EC$1,213,494,398.00 budget for 2025-2026 in Parliament today, President Sylvanie Burton has arrived and is currently addressing the parliament. Notably, her address precedes the budget presentation by the Finance Minister.