Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit says Parliament will move on April 10 to prolong VAT and import duty waivers on essential items until July.
Dominica: Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit has announced that the Government’s Parliament Sitting on April 10, 2026, will address measures to ease rising food costs in the country.
On Thursday, April 2, 2026, Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit shared that next week, on Friday, April 10, 2026, the Government will return to Parliament to extend the VAT and import duty waivers on essential food items.
With this extension’s approval, the Government aims to help the citizens cope with the rising food and living costs that have been brought by the conflict between the United States, Israel and Iran.
Prime Minister Skerrit shared that both the import duty waiver and VAT will be extended and will remain in effect until the end of July this year. He further reaffirmed the Government's commitment by stating that the Government will keep on doing what is needed to offer relief to the citizens of Dominica.
“This is part of our continued effort to cushion the impact of rising global prices on Dominican families and businesses. While these challenges are beyond our control, your Government will continue to act decisively to provide relief and strengthen our path toward greater self-reliance,” assured PM Skerrit.
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The National Leader spoke of the ongoing investments made by the Government, such as investments in agriculture (the national abattoir) and renewable energy (the geothermal energy plant), which he stated are part of a broader strategy to strengthen Dominica amidst external shocks such as the ongoing conflict.
“All of these efforts are about making Dominica more self-reliant, so that when external shocks occur, they have less impact on our way of life,” added the Leader.
Citizens have taken this news positively, with many sharing that extending these key fiscal measures will support the families. Some have also advised the Government to consider a monitoring system to ensure implementation and enforcement.