Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit pledges to maintain social support programs despite IMF recommendations, as Dominica reports a 4.5% GDP growth.
Dominica: Prime Minister Dr Roosevelt Skerrit has responded to the IMF report recommendation for a 3.4% primary surplus increase, stressing that the Government of Dominica will continue to do what is needed to support the citizens of Dominica.
Last Thursday, April 9, 2026, the Government of Dominica announced that the country’s economy had grown by 4.5 per cent in 2025. This is according to the statistics provided by the International Monetary Fund in the March 27 Article IV report.
Following this announcement, on April 11, 2026, Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit was seen providing clarity on Dominica’s economic position at the Sixth Meeting of the Third Session of the Eleventh Parliament.
In his address, the Prime Minister cited the IMF report, noting that the real GDP growth grew from 3.5 per cent in 2024 to 4.5 per cent in 2025, with inflation easing to 2.3 per cent. He added that this growth is influenced by the country’s tourism sector, which was observed performing strongly, and the ongoing infrastructure investments in Dominica.
After this citation, the Prime Minister went on to explain that although the country’s deficit is still high, it is mainly due to increased spending on major projects and support programmes for vulnerable people.
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Moreover, providing clarity on the country’s primary balance, the National Leader stated that the balance shows the difference between government income and spending and does not include debt interest payments, as widely misunderstood by the general public. He clarified that the primary balance helps to measure Dominica’s fiscal discipline and sustainability.
According to the report, the IMF has recommended that Dominica increases its primary surplus from 0.7 to 3.4 per cent of GDP over the medium term to strengthen fiscal resilience, reduce debt and build financial buffers against natural disasters.
Addressing this, Skerrit explained that achieving that will mean increasing revenue through additional taxation as well as controlling recurrent expenditure and prioritizing capital investment. Explaining all this, he stressed that the Government will not compromise on the welfare of its people.
In his Facebook post, PM Skerrit wrote, “In its latest report on Dominica, the IMF confirms continued economic growth but recommends a primary surplus of 3.4% of GDP. Achieving that by cutting support to our people is not an option. School uniforms, books, transportation, free college tuition, pensions for the elderly, public assistance, healthcare support, etc., are all commitments we will not abandon.”