China donates $20M to Dominica Gov't for housing program

The People's Republic of China has donated $20 million to the Government of Dominica so that it can keep constructing homes for citizens.

In an interview with state-run DBS radio on Monday, Prime Minister of Dominica Roosevelt Skerrit stated that housing remains a top concern for his government.

According to him, the money will enable the government to fulfill its pledge to house a number of Dominicans.

Credit: Government of Dominica photo.

"There are still many areas in Dominica where people are waiting for homes, even though we have constructed thousands of new homes there and renovated thousands of existing homes to make them more resilient.

"I want to say to them, as I indicated in the Parliament in my budget contribution, that we will be making some monies available to address housing," Skerrit said. "There are people who have firm commitments from us."

The leader of Dominica is also hopeful that when the projects start, suppliers of building supplies and contractors would profit from this financial infusion.

He called China a “major benefactor” to Dominica, noting that the People’s Republic of China is now helping the island build six schools that are in varying stages of completion.

The Dominican government plans to construct 5,000 homes for its people by 2030 as part of its housing revolution initiative.