Dominica To Donate $200,000 To U.S. Virgin Islands For Hurricane Irma Recovery

ST. THOMAS — Governor Kenneth Mapp announced during a Monday press conference that Dominica’s prime minister, Roosevelt Skerrit, has pledged to donate $200,000 to the relief effort in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

The USVI, especially St. Thomas, has large Dominican population. Mr. Mapp said he had a “very good” conversation with Mr. Skerrit, who wanted to convey his well wishes to the people of the Virgin Islands.

The funds, U.S. dollars according to the governor, will go directly to an account being created through a foundation in the territory that manages money for events such as Hurricane Irma. Mr. Mapp said the account will come with a high level of transparency, with everyone being able to see how much is in the account and how the funds are being spent, through an online portal, most likely the fund’s own website.

“We really want to manage the recovery in a transparent way, and really give people access to the information, get benefits to the folks that need it, and make sure the folks that are giving it, that they see it and know that the persons it is intended for are in fact the benefactors,” Mr. Mapp said.

Mr. Skerrit, who serves as the chairman of the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank’s Monetary Council, suggested during a Monday press conference in Dominica, that the council should provide financial support to countries within the Eastern Caribbean Central Union (E.C.C.U.), affected by the storm. The block includes Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Anguilla, Montserrat, Grenada, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. However, only Angtigua and Barbuda, Anguilla and St. Kitts and Nevis were heavily impacted by the storm, with Anguilla and Barbuda sustaining the most damage among the E.C.C.U.

“As chairman of the Monetary Council, I suggested to the Council of Ministers that a contribution be made to the countries within the currency union, a financial contribution be made to assist these countries in response to the disaster,” Mr. Skerrit said.

And he refused funds for Dominica, which saw minimal impact from the storm. “The board of directors of the bank suggested that Dominica should have received a contribution for the damage at the Douglas-Charles Airport, but I respectfully declined the offer of assistance to Dominica,” Mr. Skerrit said. “What has happened to the other territories is complete devastation in our member territories.”

Council members approved EC$1 million to Antigua and Barbuda, EC$1 million to Anguilla, and EC$250,000 to St Kitts and Nevis.