AGP Executive Report

Regional Manufacturing: CARICOM teams are assessing whether the region can supply paints, cement, glass bottles and bitumen. Their findings will help shape future tariffs, with transport costs, import competition and consumer prices under review. Agriculture: Dominica’s World Food Day programme is highlighting innovation, youth participation and resilient food production through activities running until October 16. Energy: DOMLEC’s new electricity tariff takes effect November 1. The structure includes lower off-peak rates, and regulators will monitor customer bills after the change. Economic Outlook: The World Bank projects Dominica’s economy will grow 3% in 2026, as tourism-dependent Caribbean economies face higher energy and transport costs. Infrastructure: Work on the Loubiere–Grand Bay road is nearing completion, with bridges close to finished and the Grand Bay–Bellevue Chopin section about 95% complete.

Regional Manufacturing: CARICOM teams will assess whether the region can meet demand for paints, cement, glass bottles and bitumen. Their findings will inform tariff decisions, weighing local producers’ competitiveness against import costs and reliable supply for businesses and consumers. Agriculture: Dominica’s World Food Day programme runs through October 16, with a youth showcase highlighting climate-smart farming and food innovation. Electricity: New DOMLEC tariffs take effect November 1, with lower off-peak rates. The regulator plans to monitor bills after the change. Tourism and Transport: Dominica expects 475,521 cruise passengers this season, nearly 50,000 more than last year, while Contour Airlines’ twice-weekly Trinidad service adds a direct regional link for visitors and businesses. Infrastructure: The Loubiere–Grand Bay road project is nearing completion, with key bridges and most road works close to finished.**

Regional Supply: CARICOM teams will assess whether the region can meet demand for paints, cement, glass bottles and bitumen. Their findings will help inform future tariff decisions. Agriculture: Dominica’s World Food Day programme runs through October 16, with activities focused on innovation, youth and resilient food systems. Separately, the retiring FAO Caribbean coordinator is urging a 30% cut in poultry-feed imports within five years using black soldier fly larvae. Electricity: DOMLEC’s new tariff takes effect November 1, with lower off-peak rates. The regulator plans to monitor customer bills after the change. Tourism and Transport: Dominica expects 475,521 cruise passengers this season, nearly 50,000 more than last year. Contour Airlines’ twice-weekly Trinidad service also restores a direct link that could ease travel for businesses and visitors. Economic Outlook: The World Bank projects Dominica’s economy will grow 3% in 2026, amid a more moderate recovery for tourism-dependent Caribbean economies.

Food and Agriculture: Dominica’s World Food Day programme runs through Oct. 16, spotlighting youth, innovation and sustainable food systems. Festival Economy: Organisers are in final preparations for the World Creole Music Festival, with a focus on production, security, vendors and crowd management ahead of its Oct. 23 opening. Economic Outlook: The World Bank projects Dominica’s economy will grow 3% in 2026, as tourism-dependent islands face high energy and transport costs. Electricity: New DOMLEC tariffs take effect Nov. 1; the structure includes lower off-peak rates, and the regulator plans to monitor customer bills. Tourism and Connectivity: Dominica expects 475,521 cruise passengers this season, while Contour’s twice-weekly Trinidad service restores a direct air link for travellers and businesses. Infrastructure: Work on the Loubiere–Grand Bay road is nearing completion, with bridges close to finished and the Grand Bay–Bellevue Chopin section about 95% complete.

Economic Outlook: The World Bank projects Dominica’s economy will grow 3% in 2026, as tourism-dependent islands face a more moderate recovery than oil-producing Guyana and Suriname amid high energy and transport costs. Festival Preparations: Organisers are moving into final production, security and vendor planning for the World Creole Music Festival, opening October 23. Regional Supply: CARICOM teams will assess whether the region can meet demand for paints, cement, glass bottles and bitumen, with findings informing future tariff decisions. Tourism Links: Contour Airlines’ twice-weekly Trinidad–Dominica flights restore a direct connection, while the new cruise season is expected to bring 475,521 passengers and 267 ship calls. Power and Roads: DOMLEC’s new tariff takes effect November 1; off-peak rates will be lower, and the regulator will monitor customer bills. The Loubiere–Grand Bay road project is nearing completion, with a key section about 95% finished. Agriculture: A retiring FAO regional coordinator is urging the Caribbean to cut poultry-feed imports by 30% within five years by expanding black soldier fly production.

Festival Operations: Organisers are in the final preparation phase for the World Creole Music Festival, coordinating staging, security, access, sanitation and vendors ahead of its October 23 opening. Regional Supply: CARICOM teams will assess whether the region can meet demand for paints, cement, glass bottles and bitumen—findings that could shape future tariffs and trade. Electricity: DOMLEC’s new tariff takes effect November 1. Off-peak rates are set to be lower, and the regulator will monitor bills as customers adjust to the changes. Tourism and Transport: Dominica expects 475,521 cruise passengers across 267 calls this season. Contour Airlines’ twice-weekly Trinidad service also restores a direct link and offers onward connections through Port of Spain. Infrastructure: The Loubiere–Grand Bay road project is nearing completion, with four bridges approaching completion and the Grand Bay–Bellevue Chopin section about 95% finished. Agriculture: Former FAO Caribbean coordinator Renata Clarke is urging the region to cut poultry-feed imports by 30% in five years by using black soldier fly larvae to turn organic waste into animal feed.

Electricity: DOMLEC’s new tariff takes effect Nov. 1. Rates remain undisclosed, but off-peak prices will be lower. The IRC will monitor customer bills and company revenues after the first review since 2007. Air Links: Contour has launched twice-weekly Trinidad–Dominica flights, restoring a direct route and offering onward connections to San Juan and St. Thomas. Tourism: Dominica expects 267 cruise calls and 475,521 passengers in 2026–27, nearly 50,000 more than last season, creating opportunities for guides, transport operators, vendors and restaurants. Infrastructure: The Loubiere–Grand Bay road project is nearing completion, with four bridges close to finished and the Grand Bay–Bellevue Chopin stretch about 95% complete. Agriculture: A regional push to cut poultry-feed imports by 30% in five years highlights black soldier fly production as a way to turn organic waste into feed and reduce import dependence.

Electricity: DOMLEC’s new tariff takes effect November 1 after a review overseen by the Independent Regulatory Commission. The rates have not been disclosed, but the structure includes lower off-peak charges; the commission plans to track customer bills through year-end. Air Links: Contour Airlines has begun twice-weekly flights between Trinidad and Dominica, restoring a direct route and offering onward connections through Port of Spain. Tourism: Dominica expects 475,521 cruise passengers across 267 calls this season, nearly 50,000 more visitors than last year, bringing opportunities for local tour operators, vendors and businesses. Agriculture: Retiring FAO coordinator Renata Clarke is urging the region to use black soldier fly technology to turn organic waste into animal feed and cut poultry-feed imports by 30% within five years. Infrastructure: The Loubiere–Grand Bay road project is nearing completion, with the Grand Bay–Bellevue Chopin section about 95% finished and key bridge works approaching completion.

Electricity: New tariffs take effect November 1 after Dominica’s first rate adjustment since 2007. The regulator says it will monitor customer bills and DOMLEC’s finances after the change. Agriculture: The retiring FAO Caribbean coordinator is urging a 30% cut in poultry-feed imports within five years, with black soldier fly larvae offering a way to turn organic waste into animal feed. Dominica’s Agriculture Ministry is also hosting a public discussion on protecting coconut and palm crops from Lethal Yellowing Disease. Infrastructure: The Loubiere–Grand Bay road project is nearing completion: the Grand Bay–Bellevue Chopin section is about 95% finished, while bridge and river works continue. Tourism: The cruise season opens with 267 calls and a projected 475,521 passengers—nearly 50,000 more than last season—bringing opportunities for local tour operators, vendors and other businesses. Clean Energy: Women-led Dominican businesses can seek support through a new regional facility offering technical and financial assistance to develop clean-energy products and services.

Energy: A new electricity tariff takes effect November 1, the first adjustment since 2007. DOMLEC says it will help cover operating costs; the regulator will monitor customer bills and the company’s finances. Tourism: Dominica expects 475,521 cruise passengers across 267 calls in the 2026–27 season, nearly 50,000 more visitors than last season, offering a lift for guides, drivers, vendors and other local businesses. Agriculture: Wesley farmer Dywany St. John, who manages about 15 acres while serving as a police officer, was named 2026 CARICOM Young Farmer of the Year. Dominica’s farmworker programme was also cited as a regional model, bringing in about 200 workers to support roughly 80 farmers. Clean Energy: Women-led Dominican businesses can seek support through a new Caribbean Development Bank programme offering technical and financial assistance to develop clean-energy products and services. Infrastructure: GIZ is seeking design-and-build services for a steel-framed structure and related works at the Fond Cole Sanitary Landfill.

Clean Energy for Women Entrepreneurs: The Caribbean Development Bank launched a US$500,000 SheTrades Caribbean Tech It Up Facility (2026–2028) to back women-led businesses in Dominica and across the region to turn clean energy ideas into market-ready products and services. Agriculture & Labour Mobility: Jamaica’s Floyd Green urged a regional framework to move agricultural workers across borders, pointing to Dominica’s existing migrant-worker setup that has brought about 200 workers to support roughly 80 farmers. Food Trade Barriers: Green also called for action on standards harmonisation so agricultural and fisheries products can move “seamlessly” across CARICOM borders, alongside maritime logistics and labour. Regional Connectivity: EllaLink advanced its Caribbean Gateway into the development phase, targeting service by end-2029 with an open, carrier-neutral fibre corridor linking French Guiana to Martinique/Guadeloupe and a western leg to Aruba, Curaçao and Bonaire. Public Works Procurement: Euroclima/GIZ issued an EOI for design-and-build steel-framed installation works at the Fond Cole Sanitary Landfill in Roseau. Youth STEM: Dominica’s Nature Isle Robotics team selected four students to represent the country at the 2026 FIRST Global Challenge in South Korea. Local Leadership Message: PM Roosevelt Skerrit told Marigot residents not to exclude themselves from scholarships and government opportunities.

STEM & Youth: Dominica’s Nature Isle Robotics team will send four student roboticists—Kaelan Matthew, Leonelle Lewis, Kitarah Eustache and Naiyeelie Moreau—to the 2026 FIRST Global Challenge in Incheon, South Korea (Oct 7–10), building on months of work designing, programming and testing their robot. Agriculture & Labour Mobility: Regional agriculture leaders are pushing for a Caribbean framework to move farm workers across borders, with Jamaica’s Floyd Green pointing to Dominica’s migrant-worker setup as a model that has brought about 200 workers to support roughly 80 farmers. Clean Energy for Women: The Caribbean Development Bank launched a US$500,000, three-year SheTrades Caribbean Tech It Up Facility (2026–2028) to help women-led businesses in Dominica and across the region develop and commercialise clean energy solutions. Regional Trade Barriers: Ministers urged Caribbean governments to dismantle standards barriers that slow the movement of agricultural and fisheries products, warning that harmonised standards and better maritime logistics are key to cutting food import dependence. Connectivity: EllaLink officially advanced its EllaLink Caribbean Gateway into the development stage, targeting service by end-2029 with a carrier-neutral submarine corridor linking the region toward Europe.

Regional Agriculture Trade: Jamaica’s Floyd Green urged Caribbean governments to dismantle standards barriers so agricultural and fisheries products can move “seamlessly” across borders, warning that harmonising rules, plus maritime logistics and labour, are key to cutting the region’s food import bill. Farm Labour Mobility: Green also called for a regional framework to move agricultural workers across the Caribbean, pointing to Dominica’s migrant-worker setup as a working model that has brought in about 200 workers for roughly 80 farmers. Clean Energy Support for Women: The Caribbean Development Bank launched a US$500,000 initiative under SheTrades Caribbean Hub to back women-led businesses in Dominica and across the region with technical help and funding to commercialise clean energy solutions (2026–2028). Connectivity Infrastructure: EllaLink formally advanced its EllaLink Caribbean Gateway into the development stage, targeting service by end-2029 with a carrier-neutral submarine cable linking Martinique/Guadeloupe and a western leg for Aruba, Curaçao and Bonaire. Public Procurement (Dominica): Euroclima/GIZ issued an expression of interest for design-and-build services for steel-framed installation works at the Fond Cole Sanitary Landfill in Roseau, including industrial-grade electrical, CCTV, fire alarm and plumbing. Tourism & Culture: UWI Global Campus Dominica and the Division of Culture will host the 13th E.O. LeBlanc Memorial Lecture on traditional crafts, with a civil and environmental engineer moderating the panel.

Tourism & Culture: UWI Global Campus Dominica and the Division of Culture will host the 13th E.O. LeBlanc Memorial Lecture, spotlighting Traditional Crafts and how nature and Indigenous knowledge shape Dominica’s arts, with a civil and environmental engineer moderating. Clean Energy for Women: The Caribbean Development Bank launched a US$500,000 SheTrades Tech It Up Facility (2026–2028) to back women-led businesses in Dominica and across the region to turn clean energy ideas into market-ready solutions. Agriculture Trade & Labour: Jamaica’s Floyd Green urged CARICOM to tackle food barriers by harmonising standards and improving maritime logistics, while also calling for a regional framework to move agricultural workers across borders—pointing to Dominica’s migrant-worker model. Connectivity & Infrastructure: EllaLink officially advanced its Caribbean Gateway into the development phase, targeting service by end-2029 with a carrier-neutral fibre corridor linking the Eastern Caribbean to Europe. Regional Food Security Model: Rodwell Ferguson floated a “One country, one product” approach to specialise commodities and boost intra-regional trade, including root crops for St Vincent and Dominica. Procurement (Dominica): Euroclima/GIZ issued an EOI/REOI for design-and-build steel-framed installation works at the Fond Cole Sanitary Landfill in Roseau.

CARICOM Free Movement: Regional leaders say small island states face real hurdles in fully implementing freedom of movement, citing “islandness” politics, limited administrative capacity, and demographic fears about being overwhelmed by larger neighbours. Digital Infrastructure: EllaLink officially launched its Caribbean Gateway initiative, moving from design to committed investment for a carrier-neutral fibre corridor linking Cayenne to Martinique/Guadeloupe and a western leg to Aruba, Curaçao and Bonaire, targeting service by end-2029. Agriculture Labour & Food Security: Jamaica’s Floyd Green urged a regional framework to move agricultural workers across borders, pointing to Dominica’s migrant-worker model that brought about 200 workers to support roughly 80 farmers. Clean Energy for Women Entrepreneurs: CDB launched a US$500,000 SheTrades Caribbean Tech It Up Facility (2026–2028) with Canada support, offering technical help and funding for women-led businesses in Dominica and across the region to commercialise clean energy innovations. Public Sector Skills: Dominica’s DPSU awarded 12 scholarships for professional development with Cipriani College, covering industrial relations, HR, project management and emergency management. Procurement & Waste Infrastructure: EU-backed Euroclima/GIZ issued an EOI for design-and-build services for industrial installation at the Fond Cole Sanitary Landfill in Roseau. Tourism Jobs & Informality: An ILO study warns that informality and weak labour protections are limiting tourism’s ability to deliver decent work and productive growth across several Eastern Caribbean states, including Dominica.

Agriculture Policy Push: Jamaica’s Floyd Green urged ministers to turn Caribbean Week of Agriculture talks into action, with COTED tracking commitments so farmers and fishers feel the impact. Farm Labour Mobility: Green also called for a regional framework to move agricultural workers across borders, pointing to Dominica’s migrant-worker setup bringing about 200 workers to roughly 80 farmers and boosting productivity. Clean Energy Support for Women: The Caribbean Development Bank launched a US$500,000 SheTrades Caribbean Tech It Up Facility (2026–2028) to back women-led businesses in Dominica and across the region to commercialise clean energy innovations. Skills for Public Service: Dominica’s DPSU awarded 12 scholarships with Cipriani College for training in industrial relations, HR, project management and emergency management. Agriculture Safety: Dominica marked Pesticide Awareness Day, urging safer handling and Integrated Pest Management to reduce reliance on highly hazardous pesticides. Infrastructure Procurement: EU-backed Euroclima/GIZ issued an EOI for design-and-build services for steel-framed installation at the Fond Cole Sanitary Landfill in Roseau.