******SOURCE- Caribbeannewsnow.com,news editor, First Published May 31, 2023
Dominica’s prime minister has announced that his government wants to “advance the work” at the island’s international airport project.
“Significant work has been done, we discussed with the developers and contractors to advance the work to have a shorter period of time to complete the construction [of the international airport],” Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit was quoted by Associates Times. “The discussions are being held, and a strategy is being placed forward to advance the work.”
The 11-acre airport site at Wesley in Dominica has been recently cleared and leveled and equipment has been moved directly to the area.
Skerrit also expressed confidence in the contracting firm CR5 and disclosed that over 94 local Dominicans have been employed in the construction. This number does not include the local truckers for the airport project, he said.
“The Government is on top of ensuring that Dominicans get work. I have seen a number of people from Wesley opt out of the National Employment Programme (NEP) because they are engaged in the construction of the international airport,” Skerrit said.
CR5 heads the construction of the airport after winning the EC $1 billion-plus contract for the Dominica International Airport project. The company, which is in charge of the design, construction, supply, completion, testing, and commissioning of the island’s biggest project, also was given revisions on the final design of the airport.
The international airport is a project that has been a long time coming, and finally in 2021 the government of Dominica signed an agreement with MMC Development Ltd. to finally begin with the construction of the airport.
The developing company has been a reliable partner of the Dominican government in various residential projects that were meant to provide climate-resilient houses to the residents affected by Typhoon Erika in 2015 and Hurricane Maria in 2017.
These infrastructure projects, along with the international airport, are funded by the country’s Citizenship by Investment (CBI). Dominica’s CBI programme is one of the oldest ones in the country.
