DPSU General Secretary calls on Agriculture Ministry to disburse World Bank Funds to farmers equally

General Secretary for the Dominica Public Service Union (DPSU) Thomas Letang is demanding that the authorities of Dominica’s Agriculture Ministry diligently work toward equal disbursement of funds to farmers and the recovering of the sector, post hurricane Maria.
 
Recently the Ministry of Agriculture signed an agreement with the Dominica Agricultural and Industrial Development (AID) Bank for seven million US dollars to assist farmers following Hurricane Maria. At a signing ceremony held on Thursday 18 January 2018, Minister for Agriculture, Johnson Drigo, said this agreement will aid in the advancement of the farming sector adding that the funds were provided by the World Bank under the Disaster Vulnerability Response Project (DVRP).
 
Since then an announcement was made by Drigo of when and where the funds would be disbursed, Nine hundred commercial farmers are set to receive a fixed grant of EC$10,000 while three thousand and thirty-two small commercial farmers will receive EC$3000. Farmers and fishermen who do not meet the stipulated criteria as either commercial or small commercial farmers will receive EC$1000 each.
 
However, Letang says he is aware of unfair disbursements made to individuals who do not engage in agriculture, receiving funds provided by the world bank, which were intended to assist farmers in the revitalization of their farms.

DPSU General Secretary Thomas Letang.