Significant investments in road infrastructure planned for 2007/08

Roseau, Dominica – July 20, 2007……The Government of Dominica is planning significant investments in road infrastructure in the present fiscal year. This information was revealed by Prime Minister and Minister for Finance and Planning, Hon. Roosevelt Skerrit in his presentation of the 2007/2008 Budget in Parliament on Wednesday.

The Government has committed $15.1 million in the 2007/2008 fiscal year on the Air Access Improvement Programme at the Melville Hall Airport. According to the Minister for Finance, work is continuing on land excavation (airside works) and on the terminal building and car park. During this fiscal year, work will commence on the extension of the runway in preparation for lighting.

Government is also committing $2.5 million in this fiscal year on the Road Improvement and Maintenapublnce Project (RIMP). The delays on this project, the Prime Minister explained, have been largely technical and will commence in this fiscal year.

An amount of $4.5 million has been allocated to the Roseau to Melville Road. The entire project is now expected to cost in excess of $65 million, $54 million of which is being provided by Agence Francaise de Developemente. The Roseau Road Reinstatement Project will be implemented in phases. The first phase which is being funded by the Kuwaiti Fund for Arab Economic Development at a cost of $13 million, will begin in this fiscal year. Approximately $6.2 million has been allocated to this project in this year’s budget.

Work on the Soufriere/Scotts Head Sea Defence and Road Rehabilitation Project will continue in the 2007/2008 fiscal year. An amount of $8.4 million has been budgeted for this year.

Using resources from the CARICOM Petroleum Fund, Government will undertake a number of road improvement projects in many parts of the country. An amount of $8.7 million has been allocated in this fiscal year. Work on the Indian River Bridge in Portsmouth, damaged by the earthquake of November 2004 is being funded under that facility.

Other projects to be undertaken include the Blenheim to Veille Case Road, Joe Burton Road, Bellevue Rawle Main Road , Carib Territory-Pagua-Sineku Road and the Paix Bouche-Moore Park Road.

The Government has also allocated an amount of $2 million for road rehabilitation projects in a number of other communities. The communities are Castle Bruce, Mahaut, Wotton Waven, Laudat, Goodwill, Portsmouth, Pointe Michel and St. Aroment. The money was provided by the Government of the People’s Republic of China.

The Ministry of Public Works and Public Utilities has been allocated the sum of $35.7 million in the capital estimates for spending in the 2007/2008 fiscal year.  The Ministry is charged with the responsibility of implementing the Public Sector Investment Programme (PSIP).