PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) on behalf of a ‘client’, produced a report on the use of the funds generated from Dominica’s Citizenship by Investment (CBI) Program, and may have also indirectly revealed why the Dominica’s Prime Minister & Minister for Finance Roosevelt Skerrit needs to fully and transparently account for all of the people’s money from the CBI program, says Opposition Leader Lennox Linton. The report stated that since the passage of Hurricane Maria, in September 2017, EC$582.6-million has been spent from CBI funds to support recovery efforts. The reports spoke about the rehabilitation of damaged roads and bridges, the construction of three hospitals as well as the construction of six health centres and the repair of damaged schools. The report also noted the facilitation and construction of hurricane-resilient homes, five hotels and eco-lodges which created over 1,000 jobs during construction phases, providing direct employment for approximately 900 hospitality workers, and supporting the livelihoods of those connected with tourism across the island, such as farmers, fishermen, taxi drivers, and tour operators.” All of this information shows ‘where’ and ‘how’ EC$582.6 million was spent, which is nowhere close to unaccounted US$ 1Billion dollars. PwC estimates that expenditure under the CBI programme could increase GDP by about EC$150 million and tax receipts by nearly EC$30 million. The firm also predicts that the CBI funds will significantly impact Dominica’s long-term economic potential. “The investment in hotels and tourism should generate future revenue streams for the island, which could be between EC$90 million and EC$140 million each year,” the report detailed. “The fiscal benefits of this could be between EC$20 million and EC$40 million each year.” None of this information however reveals to the people or answers the question of where is the unaccounted for $billion dollars. These figures which are all ‘estimations’, and ‘predictions’ of what ‘could happen’ or ‘should happen’ in the future, do not reveal what “has” happened with all of the money, or “where” is all of the remaining money, says opposition leader Lennox Linton. Leader of the United Workers Party, Lennox Linton
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