In 2002 the Chinese
Government adopted a policy whereby much of it’s foreign aid to developing
countries should include a market oriented Chinese agricultural investment.
These investments would be conducted through cooperation between the developing
states and private Chinese enterprises.
To achieve this
global endeavor China’s Ministry of Finance setup special funding arrangements through
China Development Bank. This special funding
arrangement went towards promoting
over-seas investment in agriculture and aquaculture.
By 2007 there
were reports from various developing countries indicating that the Memorandum
of Understandings (MOU’s) between China
and these developing states included agricultural
projects that would bring in thousands of Chinese settlers to run farms
that would ultimately supply the Chinese market. Documents circulating in
Dominica at the time indicated that PM. Skerrit had struck a deal with Chinese interest
groups whereby a section of Portsmouth would be designated for a Chinese
settlement. Convicted criminal, Chinese businessman and Dominica’s diplomatic
passport holder NG Lap Seng was allegedly an integral part of that deal with PM
Skerrit. The documents also revealed that the Chinese would also construct a
new seaport in Portsmouth to serve the Chinese population.
One Mile
Occupation
It is now more
than 10 years since the government of Dominica handed part of the One Mile
agricultural zone to what appears to be a private Chinese enterprise. The One
Mile operation was presented as a replica of the very successful Taiwanese model
of the 80’s and 90’s whereby the Taiwanese government would provide professional
agriculturist to train and support farmers throughout the island. What we've discovered with the Chinese program at One Mile begs the question- Did our
government sell or lease the One Mile agricultural land to a private Chinese
enterprise? On a few occasions we notice that the Chinese surreptitiously
delivering agricultural produce from One Mile to buyers around Dominica-
Restaurants included. If the Chinese are
here to provide support, technology transfer etc., why are they competing with
our farmers?
It is only fair
that after so many years occupying One Mile agricultural lands the government should provide
a report on the Chinese operation. Can the Ministry of Agriculture or even DEXIA
provide data on the quantity of cantaloupes, Cauliflower, melons, squash, peppers or zucchini produced, exported through the One Mile program?
Former minister
of agriculture and Petro Caribe Octopus Reginald Austrie may be able to tell us
how much he has personally benefited or squirreled from the Chinese in One
Mile. According to a farmer from Borne Area
“it is people like Reginald Austrie and
Fidel Grant that getting things from the Chinese in One mile. The farmer
went on to say “ Reginald
Austrie so aviege(creole for avarice) he took 4 baghouses
for himself from the Chinese and now he competing
with poor farmers by selling vegetables to Kempinski Hotel ” We spoke to a
few people familiar with the Kempinski Hotel operation who confirmed that the Petro Caribe Octopus did have an exclusive
arrangement to supply Kempinski with agricultural produce but presently Kempinski can’t even pay the water and light bills so he
is now selling lettuce for $1.50 a head
at the Portsmouth market. Corruption is
like a snowball –as it rolls it gets bigger or shall we say greedier.
We are aware that the Kempinski Hotel is currently in
negotiation with Domlec on unpaid energy bills. The hotel which is facetiously
referred to as“Mano and Skerrit Hotel”
also can’t afford to supply the fresh water required for the fishes in the
ponds. MA BOYDE KITCHEN should look into that.
Chinese Complex in Motion At One Mile
Recent
activities at the One Mile area once again raises question regarding the nature
of the deals made between Skerrit and the Chinese. Is the alleged Portsmouth Settlement deal moving from land grab to construction
phase?
We can confirm
that the Chinese have begun construction of a complex at the agricultural site
in One Mile- Not too far from the “Never Commissioned” and derelict coffee
factory. According to sources within the ranks of the DLP the complex will
start off with an agricultural laboratory ,a building designated as embassy suite, an apartment building for
Chinese residents, and an area designed for helicopter landing.
The DLP
administration is set against a Freedom Of Information Act and so we can’t
confirm the existence of an Environmental
Impact Statement for this Chinese complex. It is important to note that the One Mile agricultural section and it’s proximity to the Indian River,
it’s catchment and tributaries is considered an environmentally sensitive zone.
According to
sources within the DLP administration, the project is funded by the Chinese however
the government of Dominica is responsible for clearing the area and providing access
and utilities.
The DLP
administration began their end of the bargain as expected - with incompetence
and corruption. A few days ago, two contractors were sent to the site to do the
same job causing an argument and shut down. We were told that Minister Roslyn Paul’s
daughter who works at the Ministry of Agriculture called a contractor from her
constituency of Paix Bouche and ask him to report to the site but then someone
from Skerrit’s office also called the contractor from Vielle Case constituency
to report for the same duty. The contractor from Vielle Case was first to
arrive with heavy equipment and when the Paix Bouche Contractor arrived he was
denied entry by the Vielle case contractor. A case of rats fighting for the
same piece of cheese.
Still No Coffee Factory
Our first
article on the failed coffee factory also located in the One Mile area was
somewhere in April of 2016 and since then the MiTC group has made several field
trips to report on the coffee factory failure and abandonment. Needless to say,
during our many visits we have also had the opportunity to observe the Chinese
occupying the One Mile agricultural zone. We broke the news on the coffee bean fiasco -
that 13- 20 foot containers of coffee beans purchased (over US 2 Million ) by
the government of Dominica had been allowed to rot and then indiscriminately
buried near the water source in the One Mile area. We also exposed the sham
VENIDOM Corporation that was set up to operate and manage the coffee factory
but instead used as a money laundering scheme between DLP operatives and
Venezuelan drug dealers and money launderers. We also broke the story of the attempted
arson at the facility and that the abandoned facility was being used as a
shelter for goat and cattle owners and a few other acts of disgrace by the DLP
administration.
The reason we
kept going back to the failed coffee factory location was not only to expose
incompetence and malfeasance but that we understood the potential of Coffee factory
and the possible economic impact. Coffee is one of the world’s most consumed
beverages and in the US only an annual market value of over $400 Billion. Even
Martinique and Guadeloupe, our neighboring islands present market opportunities
for Dominica’s coffee. We were hoping that if we keep exposing and shaming the
administration on the coffee factory fiasco the DLP administration would
move to get the factory in operation or even utilize the Chinese program to
help jump start the coffee production. Boy oh boy we were so wrong. Unlike the quick money
and the personal enrichment that comes with the passport moneys, getting the
coffee factory up and running comes with hard work, competence and genuine care and these shameless goons have
none of the above qualities.
It is time that
the government provide some transparency into what is happening at One Mile Portsmouth.
Where there is secrecy in government there is impropriety and a threat against
the freedom, liberties and sovereignty of a people. Verily a government that
abandons the responsibility to guarantee national sovereignty, forfeits the
rights to govern and should be removed by any means necessary. Tiwais Yo
http://www.masinthecemetery.com/2016/07/upside-down-back-to-front-government.html)
http://www.masinthecemetery.com/2016/07/upside-down-back-to-front-government.html
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