ROSEAU, Dominica (CMC) — The Government of hurricane-battered Dominica today rolled out new initiatives aimed at encouraging citizens to invest in the country, even as it acknowledged that it had not been able to attract significant revenue since the passage of the Category 5 storm on September 18.

Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit said his administration had agreed to lower interest rates from three to two per cent to people in the tourism, agriculture and manufacturing sectors.

“It is still a significant sum of money all put together…we are talking about $35 million available to the private sector,” he said, noting that the funds and the new terms would become available as of Monday.

In addition, he said a new facility, which would be “almost like a grant”, would be made available later this month through state-owned financial institutions to people who are encountering difficulties repairing their homes despite having received payments from insurance companies.

But he warned financial institutions that the Government was prepared to take over the initiative, due to become operational on December 18, if they take more than three days from the receipt of an application to provide the funds.

“If that is not done we will terminate the agreement with these institutions,” he said.

Skerrit, who is due to leave Dominica to attend the Cuba-Caribbean Community (CARICOM) summit in Antigua later this week, said that since the storm, the Government’s revenue has been severely impacted.

He said for the month of October, the Government had collected just over EC$4 million, with the bulk of that — EC$3.3 million — coming from value added tax.

For November, the revenue stood at just over EC$7 million, with EC$4.3 million coming from personal income tax as a result of his administration honouring an obligation to pay public servants double salaries as had been agreed upon prior to the passage of the hurricane.

“Our hope is that the public servants will respond likewise and be productive….and be patriotic,” Skerrit said.

He said the funds received are “nowhere close to what the Government spends on a monthly basis” given that “we still have a lot of work to do, cleaning up areas and communities”.

He reminded reporters ‘the state can only spend what the state has”.

Skerrit also announced plans to stage in January next year, a stakeholders’ round table discussion on the creed and interventions a s a response to Hurricane Maria.

“So there will be all national stakeholders and we may very well extend that to our regional and international stakeholders to be part of the process so that people can give their open feedback and suggestions on the creed and interventions which the government should consider in moving forward.

“In the next several days we will articulate that but …everybody in the country will have an opportunity to give his or her comments and suggestions on how do we strengthen and how do we get to near perfection the creed and other interventions which we must put in place”.

Skerrit also indicated that there a definitive position would be announced “in a few days” regarding the curfew that had been imposed on the capital since the passage of the storm.

“I am hoping within a couple days…that a definitive position would be taken on which do we go with. Do you go with removing the curfew all together and putting an end to the state of emergency because the state of emergency legally can only go up until December 31.

“If we have to extend it we have to get the authority of the Parliament (and) I don’t want to make any comment publicly to prejudice the competent authorities discussing this matter, because I have my own personal views…but I will wait for the competent authorities to advice,” said Skerrit who also announced that he is to travel to the United States and France later this month.