Business View Caribbean | September 2019

58 BUSINESS VIEW CARIBBEAN SEPTEMBER 2019 port, so we would not be facing the same issues in the future. Another challenge is that we have to look at hotel development and business expansion in a holistic manner. And so, the government is going to pursue an International Airport for Dominica. That is a necessity for our hotel development, for transportation in and out of the island, and shipment of goods. And we want to be more dependent on renewable energy, such as geothermal, and less on fossil fuels. As a government, we have ongoing projects relating to geothermal energy; we have dug some pools, and hopefully by 2020 we will have our plants active. By addressing all these issues, we’ll create a better ecosystem for the enterprises and businesses of Dominica. While we don’t have major factories and manufacturing here, we do have a lot of small agroprocessors and cottage- type industries. And they contribute significantly to the economy, because a lot of small businesses create employment for a large number of people in Dominica.” BVC: In closing, is there anything you’d like to say to the people of the Bahamas, right now? Minister Paul: “Yes. When I saw Hurricane Dorian sitting there like it was having a vacation in Bahamas, I was very afraid of the outcome because I know what we suffered – and we are a mountainous country but they are largely flat land or below sea level. So, I knew it was going to be very bad for them. I prayed for them and we all continue to keep them in our prayers. Dominica has been gathering and providing support both at government level and individual church organizations, and other NGOs. We stand ready to provide technical support; we also have some teams on standby, as part of the region of CARICOM we can provide the human capital necessary. We want them to know we are there for them because we’ve gone through it, and we know what it’s like. They are in our hearts and prayers, and as a country, we stand in great solidarity with the people of the Bahamas.” pictured Small Business training with the Ministry of Commerce pictured Hon. Minister Paul delivers remarks at the closing ceremony