ROSEAU, Dominica, CMC – Leader of the main opposition United Workers Party (UWP), Dr. Thompson Fontaine, Tuesday said Dominica is at a “crossroads” and has accused the government of Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit of victimizing, ostracising, and stifling the ambitions of Dominicans.
“Their style of governance has destroyed our middle class, leaving a ruthless group of political elites, a manipulated and suffering lower class trapped by programs like the National Employment Programme (NEP) and housing schemes. This is not progress. It’s a playbook for poverty, crime, and tyranny,” Fontaine told a news conference.
He said supporters of the UWP “feel threatened and are told that if they hope to make it here in Dominica, they must come cup in hand and publicly declare allegiance to the DLP. “Dominica, we have endured enough. The UWP-Team Dominica is committed to putting our lives on the line to steer this nation toward a brighter future of shared prosperity for all,” he told reporters.
Fontaine, an economist, said he is proud to introduce a vision for a sustainable economic future rooted in the belief that every Dominican deserves a fair shot at success, not just the privileged few.
“…we will build this country, create opportunities, generate wealth, and lift our people,” he said, noting that each pillar of the roadmap is a stepping stone toward shared prosperity for all Dominicans.
“We will ensure better pay for our working class by initiating an increase in the minimum wage to EC$12 (One EC dollar=US$0.37 cents) from its current levels. Public servants will realize significant increases in their salaries, and as we transform the NEP into skills building and training, their wages will also grow”.
He is also promising that a future UWP administration will overhaul the tax system, revise the value-added tax (VAT) rates downwards, remove “suffocating import duties, provide duty-free incentives to build homes and businesses, and overall reduce the tax burden on our people. “These actions will stimulate entrepreneurship, revive the private sector, rebuild the middle class, and promote economic growth,” said the former International Monetary Fund (IMF) official.
He stated that in the health and education sectors, the UWP will rebuild these sectors, ensuring they are accessible, efficient, and responsive.
“Well-equipped and supplied medical centers will make use of our trained doctors both at home and abroad. A National Health Insurance Programme will complement this.
“Our education system will be modernized, and our students will trained in math, languages, science, and social disciplines. We will equip our people with the tools to compete globally, ensuring that no one is left behind.”
Fontaine also addressed plans for the agricultural sector, creating opportunities for wealth generation to keep young people in Dominica by fostering innovation and entrepreneurship. “We will utilize the knowledge-based industry and occupy our young minds with innovation and drive. The dreams of our youth will be restored,” he added.
The UWP leader stated that plans are also in place to harness the country’s renewable energy potential, including hydro, solar, wind, and geothermal, to significantly reduce electricity costs and attract foreign companies seeking to establish Artificial Intelligence (AI) data centers.
“Our cheap electricity generation will also be a magnate for companies to set up additional factories and manufacturing operations in Dominica.”
He promises to root out corruption and establish a responsible government that is accountable to the people of this country.
“ My fellow Dominicans. These 10 pillars are not mere promises; they are our solemn commitment to you, the people of Dominica, grounded in faith and action. They represent a vision of shared prosperity, where no one is left behind, and every citizen can achieve their full potential. Indeed, the time for collective prosperity is knocking at our doors, our minds, and our hearts,” he said, promising in the coming days and weeks to “take this message and vision to our people across this beautiful land and in the Diaspora.”
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