ROSEAU, Dominica:  Local communities in Dominica are benefiting from an additional $21.5 million of government expenditure, outside of what was approved by Parliament when Prime Minister and Minister for Finance and Planning, Roosevelt Skerrit delivered his 2006/2007 Budget Address on July 11, 2006.

Prime Minister of Dominica, Roosevelt Skerrit. AFP PHOTO

This information was revealed by Skerrit last week when he presented a Bill for an Act to sanction certain payments from the Consolidated Fund of Dominica in excess of the sum provided by law for the services of the Commonwealth of Dominica during the fiscal year ending 30/06/07.

The Prime Minister told Parliament that 70.25% of the total amount ($21.5 m) was financed by grants and 29.75% from local funds.

The money is being spent in the areas of road rehabilitation, infrastructural works and human resource development. Some of the projects include:

• Rehabilitation of Good Hope/Petite Soufriere Road $974,682.50
• Rehabilitation of Atlee Feeder Road $182,000.00
• Rehabilitation of Thibaud Bridge $235, 699.52
• Drainage and sidewalk improvements in Portsmouth $194, 896.35
• Rehabilitation of Mero-Cuba Road $277,794.00
• Rehabilitation of wall and Roadway in Riviere Cyrique $378, 119.50
• Rehabilitation of Eggleston Wall and Road $243,931.00
• Rehabilitation of community roads $616,000.00
• Construction of Northern Education Development Project $585,279.29
• Reconstruction of St. John’s Primary School $500,000.00
• House Renovation and Sanitation Programme Phase 1 $1,066,512.16
• Vieille Case Catholic Church $150,000.00
• Renovation work at Princess Margaret Hospital $200,000.00
• Establishment of Diagnostic Centre at Portsmouth Hospital $376,468.00
• Establishment of Intensive Care Unit at PMH $481,821.00
• Housing Assistance for Government employees $7,000,000.00

In addition, Government has been able to assist even more Dominicans studying locally and abroad with a cash investment of $900,000. Dominican students studying at Grambling State University in Louisiana, Mid-Western State University in Texas, University of the West Indies, St. Augustine Campus, UWI School of Continuing Studies, Dominica State College and Business Training Centre have all received funds of varying amounts from the Government of Dominica