The Government of the Commonwealth of Dominica has signed an agreement with the CARICOM Development Fund (CDF) for the upgradation of the Champagne Beach Facility at the cost of USD558,000 (EC1.5 million).
It is to be noted that the project is aiming to bolster the facilities and amenities at the Champagne Beach for improving the visitor experience and creating opportunities for the entrepreneurship.
Notably, Champagne Beach is a famous location for diving and snorkeling near the Southern Village of Pointe Michel. Minister for Finance, Economic Development, Climate Resilience and Social Security Dr Irving McIntyre and Chief Executive Officer of the CARICOM Development Fund, Rodinald Soomer signed the deal on Wednesday, October 11, 2023.
The Champagne Beach will be featuring a basement reception area with vending units, changing rooms, lockers and spa services. The upper levels will be equipped with restaurant and bar, washrooms, an open area for dining, and space for recreation and entertainment.
Meanwhile, Minister Dr Irving McIntyre, while noting on the above mentioned, said that, this will not just going to brighten the experience for the visitors but will also likely to boost the employment opportunities from the phase of construction to operational.
In his words, Minister McIntyre has also mentioned that, this will also going to open up numerous opportunities for the local entrepreneurs of the nation.
It is to be noted that, the spaces that have been dedicated to the art, crafts will going to allow the talented people to express their skills.
The CDF Chief Executive Officer said the project is part of a broader initiative to respond positively to Dominica’s main development priorities “both nationally and within the context of its fit within the regional development space.”
“What the Government has requested is of allocation of part of their grant from the CDF towards this priority project and to reserve the balance of the grant towards geothermal energy to complement a concessional loan that the CDF has provisionally allocated to the Government in the amount of USD10 million. So while this is a small beginning to the program, it is a major start, and we expect that it will culminate in a signing of an agreement with the Government to make those resources available for the construction of the ten megawatt geothermal plant in short order,” said by the CEO of CDF.
