Address to Dominicans Resident in St. Maarten/St. Martin

On the occasion of our 38th Anniversary of Independence, I bring you warmest greetings from the Nature Isle of the Caribbean, our beloved Dominica which, with its towering volcanic peaks and rushing rivers and waterfalls has had its trying times, but has also experienced the outpouring of God's blessings, grace and mercy.

My wife Clara joins me in thanking the Dominica Foundation of St. Maarten, for inviting us here to meet with, and address you on the occasion of the observance of the 38th Anniversary of Dominica's Independence, and for the excellent arrangements made for our visit. We also wish to express our appreciation to the authorities of St. Maarten, His Excellency the Governor and the Hon. Prime Minister, both of whom my wife and I had the pleasure of meeting yesterday and Her Excellency the Prefect and the Hon President of the Collectivite' who we also had the pleasure of meeting this morning, for all of the courtesies extended to us since our arrival at the Princess Juliana Airport on Wednesday evening.

Overview of Life in Dominica Post Tropical Storm Erika

My intention this evening is to use the opportunity to give you a brief overview of life in Dominica, particularly in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Erika, since many of you may not have visited Dominica in the last 2 or 3 years. As a Small Island Developing State, we in Dominica along with most of our sister islands in the region are faced with tremendous challenges aggravated by frequently occurring natural disasters, in providing adequately for all of our people. We are nevertheless proud of the progress that we have made as a people and a nation throughout the past 38 years. We therefore continue to give thanks to Almighty God for life, health and strength and for His abundant love and mercy which He has bestowed on our beloved nation. We are also encouraged and motivated by the strides made in so many sectors particularly in the areas of physical infrastructural development. We have made strides in the expansion of health and education services; in housing; in information technology; in renewable energy development; in providing for the youth, the elderly and for people with disabilities; and in stabilizing the economy.

Read the entire Address to Dominicans Resident in St. Maarten/St. Martin (PDF, 191 KB) speech.

Posted: 24/10/2016

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