Dominica’s Opposition Leader praises 2026-27 budget, calls for unity beyond politics

Dominica: The leader of opposition of Dominica, Jesma Paul-Victor, has significantly praised the national budget for the 2026-2027 fiscal year, calling for a different political culture, one which embraces the views of all Dominicans.

In her ministerial performance assessment, she ranked the Prime Minister in the "Excellent / Meets Expectations" category as she highlighted a 104.3% execution rate and strong implementation of major national projects that significantly progressed under the leadership of Prime Minister Dr. Roosevelt Skerrit.

Execution: 104.3%. A very strong implementation record. Spending exceeded the approved allocation by approximately EC$15.3 million, indicating that major flagship projects under the Prime Minister’s portfolio progressed rapidly, she noted.

Prime Minister Skerrit appreciated her balanced, mature and well-considered response to the budget Address in Parliament, while highlighting that the best way to build a stronger Dominica is through collaboration, mutual respect and moving past blind partisanship.

The Prime Minister noted in a Facebook post, “Even where our perspectives differ, the Opposition Leader’s approach today demonstrated that our nation’s politics is capable of being elevated, civil and focused on the public good.”

He added, “Major national undertakings whether the International Airport, geothermal energy, or our climate-resilient infrastructure do not belong to any single political party; they belong to the people of Dominica. Our Government remains fully committed to an open door, constructive dialogue and working together to deliver a prosperous future for every family.”

The opposition leader further ranked the Minister for Agriculture under the “Excellent / Meets Expectations" category and noted, “Execution: 95.1%. Among Cabinet’s strongest performers. Very little variance from budget which suggests realistic planning and effective project management.”

She lastly ranked the Minister for Labour and Public Service Reform, saying, “Execution: 84.2%. Strong implementation with limited variance.”

Victor further presented the category of “good but below expectations,” ranking the following sectors:

• Minister for Public Works

• Minister for Sports, Culture and Community Development

• Minister for Housing

• Minister for Housing

She then presented the third category of “poor implementation,” ranking:

• Minister for Tourism

• Minister for Finance

• Minister for Education

• Minister for National Security

Lastly, In the “Exceeding Budget” category, victor noted the two ministries significantly exceeded their approved allocations:

• Foreign Affairs: 334.6%

• Environment: 119.9%