​The Government of Dominica has in recently come under fire for allegedly systematically destroying various key institutions in the Society.
Former Agriculture Minister Atherton Martin is accusing the Government of destroying the trade union movement, Youth groups, religious groups, among others.
Martin added that he has received reports from many Labour Party supporters regarding the state of the economy, and although he does not expect these persons to protest out on the streets, he says he expects them to stop making excuses on the Government’s behalf. 

More than 250 members of the Honduran Navy (FEN) just completed a rigorous training program led by military instructors from the United States, Colombia, and Chile at the Naval Training Center in Trujillo Bay, Honduras.

"Honduras has made a steadfast commitment to stamp out organized crime and drug trafficking," said Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández. "Our naval forces, who work hard to keep our borders secure, will help us fulfill that commitment."

Most of the cocaine that passes through Honduras enters by sea, according to the US State Department's latest International Narcotics Control Strategy Report.

US President Donald Trump hopes his presidency will get het a reset button today, on his 193rd day in office. Trump is coming off the worst week of his presidency, a disastrous seven days, in which the infighting he stokes went public.
 
The Senate's attempt to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act failed; Trump attacked his own attorney general; he delivered a series of heavily political speeches that clearly revealed his growing frustration with his current position, and he ousted his chief of staff Reince Priebus.
 
The decision to part ways with Priebus and bring on Department of Homeland Security chief John Kelly as chief of staff, all which Trump announced via Twitter late Friday, was cast by allies of the President as a much-needed reset for a White House that had lost its direction.

​Dr Sam Christian is calling on Dominicans to trust and utilize the skills of native Dominican Doctors.  
 
He says, recent Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) studies have issued a call to reduce the amount of unhealthy foods found in the daily diet, in order to decrease the number of NCD cases within the region, as well as reduce the cost of health care.
 
According to Christian, reducing the cost of health care also involves locals trusting their native Doctors, rather than importing foreign physicians to provide the same services.

​President of the Dominica Association of Teachers (DAT), Celia Nicholas, has made another plea on behalf of the Association to the “powers that be”, to reconsider their plans to use a section of the Newtown Primary School as a health center. The Health Ministry recently confirmed the Newtown Primary School Auditorium will soon be used as the temporary site for the health centre. The original Newtown Health Center was closed in 2016, allegedly due to rodent infestation.
 
Nicholas is totally against the idea of using the school, on any “temporary or permanent-temporary” basis, saying that the authorities concerned should change the location for the project, because that is the “honorable thing” to do. She expressed her displeasure at the beginning of the DAT Annual Summer Institute on July 17, 2017, and repeated it on Friday 28th July at the school, where over fifty teachers received certification in various fields.
 
Nicholas said, “The Dominica Association of Teachers will appreciate the appropriateness and the value of this request, and two quotes come to mind; ‘Penny wise, pound foolish’ and the second one ‘Wisdom denotes pursuing the best ends by the best means.’ To those concerned, model strength of character and do the honorable thing, change the location for your intended project”.
 
She added that the Association is no longer certain of the use of the school, and is asking persons directly involved in the project to consider her plea. “We are no longer certain about the use of the location that we are in right now. At the opening, I made a plea and I am making it again. The Dominica Association of Teachers is once more asking, beseeching the powers that be, to reconsider, revisit their choice of this building, for the establishment of a health center”.
 
Nicholas said she is ready and willing to “take her blows,” especially considering the advent of delays at the Roseau Boys School. She added, “Be it temporary or permanent-temporary, I make no bones about it. Mr. Jerry Copiel, principal of the Newtown Primary School, do not take blows for me, I can take my blows for myself. We are saying even if it is temporary, we know how long it took before the Roseau Boys School could be occupied. So I do this on behalf of the principal, the staff and students of the Newtown Primary School, and also of the residents of this area, which is described as the mecca of football in Dominica”.

​Opposition Leader, Lennox Linton, says the DLP Government 2017/2018 budget is unhinged from the realities of what people really need.
Linton made these comments as he delivered his response to Prime Minister Skerrit's national budget on Friday.
While PM Skerrit says he is excited about this budget, Linton questions the reason for the excitement in this budget which he described as "same old, same old".

​Meanwhile, he outlines a budget process under a UWP Government.

​Meantime, Opposition UWP is continuing to call for urgent action and adequate funding to be made available to complete the process for electoral reform in Dominica.
In his response to the 2017/2018 National Budget, Opposition Leader, Lennox Linton, says they are completely opposed to the reform agenda of the DLP Government which seeks to legitimize treating and bribery and introduce overseas registration of voters.
Opposition Leader, Lennox Linton, says the UWP is calling for the re-registration of voters, sanitization of the electors list, implementation of Voter Identification Cards and introduction of campaign finance reform. 

​UWP Senator, Dr Thompson Fontaine, doubts Government’s promises of an International Airport to be built over the next two years.
Thompson says the idea is indeed attention grabbing however, he says if the Government could not make the idea a reality within the last 17 years of governance, how will it happen within two years.
He says he does not believe it is possible under the current administration.
According to Fontaine, the United Workers Party had already put the structures in place for an international airport during its reign proving the party’s competence in power.
He further expressed his confidence that if the party had been in power over the last few years the country would be better off.

​Meanwhile, Dominica has been underperforming compared to its sister counterparts St. Kitts, St. Lucia and others says Economist Dr.  Thompson Fontaine.
 
Dr. Fontaine says for the past decade Dominica has been achieving a GDP of about 1% while St. Kitts has been achieving GDP of 5% and St. Lucia - 3%.
 
According to him, the monies being accumulated by Dominica’s Government and the level of productivity does not correspond. He says he does not believe that Dominica’s current Government has the necessary structures installed to positively transform Dominica’s economy.

​Moreover, Fontaine is of the view, that in order to return Dominica into a prosperous nation, the country must be taken off what he describes as “remote control”.
He says a country needs steady hands at the wheel found in individuals of integrity, competence and a deep sense of duty.
According to Fontaine these traits can be found in Opposition Leader Lennox Linton who understands that a country should be run without corrupting influences. 

​Executive Member of the Dominica Freedom Party, Annette St. Hilaire, is calling on Dominican Citizens to remember the Education revolution initiated by the Dominica Freedom Party during its tenure.
 
St. Hilaire says the DFP started the revolution for future success in Dominica’s economy.

​The Ministry of Health and the Environment will receive a $7M boost in this year’s budget compared to the ministry’s $54.8M last year.
According to Finance Minister Roosevelt Skerrit, this year a total of $61.8M has been allocated for the ministry as well as additional $5M set aside for pharmaceuticals for cancer patients in Dominica.
Skerrit states these medications will be given to patients free of charge in efforts to reduce the suffering of many of those afflicted with various forms of cancer.
He added that another sum of $1M will be allocated to the Dominica Solid Waste Management company to facilitate a cleaner environment for all. 

​For many Dominican Citizens the budget address presented by Dominican Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit on Thursday 27th June 2017 is questionable.
 
Economist Dr Thompson Fontaine is one of those citizens, he says the sudden spike in revenue obtained from Dominica’s Citizenship by Investment Program may be cause for concern.