Dominica government reveal plans for Wotten Waven

Wotten Waven village was earmarked for continued development and assistance by Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit and members of his cabinet at a town hall meeting last night.

Held in the courtyard of the village’s primary school, nestled among a handful of spa, restaurant and guest house establishments, the meeting gave residents of the area a chance to interact with government.

John Collin McIntyre, local member of parliament and minister for planning, economic development and investment, stressed his recognition of the importance of developing people in the entire Roseau Valley area.

“Through my constituency empowerment programme, I want to focus my development for the Roseau Valley on the infrastructure, but I [also] want to make sure that we target the people,” he said.

“Because yes, we want good roads as we’re getting right now, but we want to make sure we take care of your needs.”

McIntyre revealed that plans are in place to re-establish a local government in Wotten Waven, recalling that it was a key ingredient in the formula for the village’s development both as a place to live and as a tourist attraction.

Senator Miriam Blanchard, minister for public works and ports, built on this, telling the crowd of the government’s commitment to building what she described as a resilient network of roads and bridges throughout the Wotten Waven and Roseau Valley area.

She chronicled the government’s efforts since Tropical Storm Erika to rehabilitate and develop the community, and stressed the need for fact-checking those who criticise without providing evidence.

“This is a government who is concerned about developing and empowering its people.

“Sometimes you hear so much negativity that it makes you wonder – which is why I am happy you are here tonight to learn from your government, what it is doing for you and how it will impact each and every one of you,” she added.

Repairs before tourists arrive

Senator Robert Tonge assured residents in attendance that he began implementing the concerns and recommendations they voiced during his last visit to the area.

Acknowledging that the village is a major attraction for tourists, Tonge – who also serves as the minister of tourism and urban renewal – asserted that the intention is to repair all of the roads in the area before the tourist season reopens.

He revealed that through the citizenship by investment fund to assist hoteliers and restaurateurs seeking to upgrade their properties.

“You can take 12 months after receiving the loan to start paying back that loan. No one else in the world has such an opportunity. With these funds, you can meet the standards of the international market,” he asserted.

Ian Douglas, MP for Portsmouth and minister of trade, energy and employment, was fired up in his riposte to the opposition’s criticism of the government’s use of CBI funds.

PM: Money to stay in Wotten Waven

Echoing Senator Blanchard’s sentiments regarding the reckless criticism of CBI, Douglas stated: “When they take away your bread and cheese from you, they cannot give you crackers to eat!”

Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit used the platform to reveal his plans for the area, starting with the continued employment of local contractors for the construction of the main road connecting the village with the neighbouring Trafalgar and Copt Hall areas.

“We are ensuring that when the millions are spent on building these roads, these millions will stay in the pockets of the people of Wotten Waven,” he said.

The prime minister lamented the plight of vendors, most of whom he revealed were women, caused by the lack of a dedicated facility where they can sell their goods to tourists.

“We should not now in the second decade of the 21^st century, have vendors have to go and beg somebody to use a washroom. As the minister of finance I am making a public commitment to provide the funds to construct these facilities for you.”