Dominica Last Week: Top Five Stories You May Have Missed

Athanaze will face India on home soil

West Indies cricket selectors have picked Dominican cricketer Alick Athanaze for the West Indies cricket team, which will play India in Dominica from July 12 to 16.

The Senior Men's Selection Panel for Cricket West Indies (CWI) announced the players early Friday afternoon.

Selectors stated Athanaze and another player, left-handed batsman Kirk McKenzie, on a recent tour of Bangladesh, impressed them and that they deserve to be on the team.

The Windies squad will travel to Dominica on Sunday following their current pre-series camp at Coolidge Cricket Ground in Antigua, according to CWI. They will undergo training sessions on Monday afternoon and Tuesday morning to prepare for the match.

The first match of the two-Test series begins next Wednesday at 10 a.m. at Roseau's Windsor Park Sports Stadium.

Last month, the Dominican government announced the designation of Athanaze and Kavem Hodge as Commonwealth of Dominica Sports Ambassadors.

They stated that their selection honoured their recent performance as West Indies Senior Men's Cricket Team member.

Athanaze made a stunning debut for the West Indies, scoring a record-equaling fifty in the third ODI against the hosts on June 9.

Athanaze, the Windward Islands Volcanoes four-day captain, made his first-class debut for the Windward Islands in 2018 and was the leading run-scorer in the 2022-2023 Regional Four-Day Competition. He was also the leading run-scorer of the 2018 Under- 19 Cricket World Cup. On the other hand, Hodge made his first-class debut for the Windward Islands in 2012 and was the leading run-scorer in the 2019-2020 Regional Super 50 tournament for the Windwards.

He made his ODI debut in the first ODI against the UAE on June 4, 2023. Hodge previously played for the St. Lucia Zouks in the Caribbean Premier League.

PM Skerrit assumed CARICOM chairmanship at the 45th Conference of CARICOM Heads of Government

The Prime Minister of Dominica, Roosevelt Skerrit, assumed the Chairmanship of CARICOM when the 45th Regular Conference of CARICOM Heads of Government was held in Trinidad and Tobago from July 3-5, 2023.

The event coincides with the 50th anniversary of CARICOM, which was founded on July 4, 1973, by the Treaty of Chaguaramas to foster economic integration and collaboration among member countries.

Under his chairmanship, the leaders discussed Agriculture and Food Security, the Caribbean Single Market and Economy, Energy Security, Climate Change and Climate Finance, the Situation in Haiti, and Regional Air and Sea Transport.

Might Gabby grace Dominica's shores for 3rd edition of Calypso Day

Calypso legend and Barbados Cultural Ambassador, His Excellency Dr The Most Honourable Anthony 'The Mighty Gabby' Carter, has returned to Dominica, this time to present a lecture on the art form of Calypso.

The Calypsonian, best known for classics such as 'Doctor Cassandra' and 'Jack and Boots,' to name a few, was one of the key features of this year's third edition of Calypso Day celebration organised by the Dominica Calypso Association (DCA).

The week-long festival began on Sunday, July 2, with a church service in Grand Bay led by former Calypsonian Father Brancker John. On Monday, a live conversation regarding the influence of Calypso was broadcast on DBS radio.

It proceeded with Mighty Gabby's arrival and "meet and greet" on July 4 and his lecture on July 5 at the University of the West Indies (UWI) Open Campus.

On July 6, Calypso Day, there was a youth conversation among students around the island on the themes: 'Does the presence of political problems within Calypso music's lyrical content help or harm the art form?' and 'Is the lyrical substance of other music genres, like as Dancehall and Bouyon, more appealing to the youth than Calypso?

DCA sponsored a social gathering with live performances by Gabby and other local artists to close off the week of festivities.

Dominica economy to see a boost post-pandemic, says IMF

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) executive board ended the Article IV consultation with Dominica on June 7, 2023. It endorsed the staff appraisal without a meeting due to scheduling constraints.

According to the IMF, the Dominican economy is recovering from the pandemic. Furthermore, they highlighted that GDP growth is expected to reach 6.9% in 2021 and 5.7 per cent in 2022, owing to the construction of climate-resilient infrastructure, a partial resurgence in tourism, and a significant increase in agricultural output.

The IMF also acknowledged that, notwithstanding the implementation of fuel pricing regulations, rising global commodity prices and transportation costs contributed to an expected inflation rate of 7.5 per cent in 2022. Furthermore, due to unfavourable trade conditions, significant imports of investment goods, and an incomplete rebound in tourism receipts, the current account deficit has remained at 26 per cent of GDP.

According to the IMF, fiscal headroom remains constrained, although high Citizenship-by-Investment (CBI) revenue, which has recently approached a record 30 per cent of GDP, has supported public investment and crisis response measures. Nonetheless, the primary fiscal deficit increased to 6.2 per cent in FY21-22, and the public debt reached 106 per cent of GDP.

The financial industry continues to be stable. Due to substantial liquidity and low exposure to foreign capital markets, tighter global financing conditions have not influenced bank deposit and lending rates.

Autopsy shows Dominican Gregory Linton died in St Vincent from a gunshot to the head

An autopsy result has revealed that Dominican and Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI) worker stationed in St Vincent, Gregory Linton, died because of a gunshot wound sustained to the head. According to iWitness News in St Vincent, Linton, who has diplomatic status, was found dead in a diplomatic vehicle in Kingstown around 11 p.m. on 18 June 2023. His body had started to decompose when it was discovered in a blue Toyota Hilux vehicle. Sources told iWitness News that Linton was scheduled to leave St. Vincent on the Friday before he was found dead.

A man, who informed police of the discovery of the body, was detained but was subsequently released.

Another news organisation, The St Vincent Times, has reported that Linton may have been shot by his gun, which has since been reported missing.

Linton was an Agricultural Engineer employed with the CARDI as its representative in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. CARDI has since said that the news of Linton's death was unbelievably shocking and deeply sad. In a statement, the organisation said that Linton was its representative in St Vincent and the Grenadines since 2017. The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Blue and Green Economy here in Dominica has also expressed sadness at the killing of Linton.

-By Ronda Luke