Dominica unveils major infrastructure expansion: New bridges, road upgrades, reduced vehicle excise tax

Dominica: Prime Minister Dr Roosevelt Skerrit shared an update on the ongoing large-scale road and bridge projects across Dominica while addressing the Cabinet at the 4th Meeting of the 3rd Session of the 11th Parliament on Tuesday, November 25, 2025. These projects, he said, are very extensive and costly, but still needed for development.

He further said that as Dominica has a mountainous terrain with many rivers and valleys, it is important to build strong structures that can withstand natural disasters. PM Skerrit added, “Because every mile of road you have to build in Dominica, you have to build a bridge.” These bridges will connect various communities and also make it easier to move goods and people.

According to the Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit, these roads will open more economic opportunities for the people by creating new jobs and easy access to other remote areas. For now, the government is concentrating on building five new bridges in the tooling stage: a method of construction in which they build smaller parts to test the design and durability.

The PM Skerrit also stressed on the investment being made in infrastructure that is a costly affair and takes time. He shared that the road project which was initially set for a $126 million budget, has now grown to $226 million because of its redesign and occurrence of natural disasters. The Prime Minister of Dominica also believed that this investment is worth it as it will benefit the country.

Dominica is investing largely into roads and bridges to improve people’s travel experience, create job opportunities, and stimulate the economy. As Prime Minister Skerrit said, “So this is the kind of investment we make and that now enables investment opportunities for people."

Finance Minister Irving McIntyre presents details on expenditure

Finance Minister of Dominica, Dr Irving McIntyre, also addressed the Parliament Session. He shared the details about the supplementary estimates which was around $108 million for the period of 2024-2025 fiscal year. This estimate includes expenditure for urgent and unexpected events which were approved under constitutional and financial laws.

These expenditures were funded from grants, loans, and government revenues. Key allocations were used for national security salary increases, electoral modernization which includes the new voter ID cards, development of the Dominica Grammar School, and new climate resilient homes.

Minister McIntyre also gave an update on the Excise tax Amendment 2025, under which the excise tax on motor vehicles will be reduced from 28 percent to 25 percent on vehicles that are ten years old or less. He said that once the tax is reduced, it will encourage people to buy new vehicles and reduce the importation of old ones.