I want to say first and foremost that I feel absolutely heartbroken for every single individual who lost everything in that terrible fire last night.
I cannot begin to imagine what you are experiencing right now. To watch your life’s work, everything you sacrificed for, everything you built through long days and sleepless nights, disappear in a matter of hours is devastating beyond words. Your world has been turned upside down.
What makes it even more painful is that many of you struggled against enormous odds to build your businesses in the first place. High costs. Heavy taxes. Limited support. You fought through it all, and now, through no fault of your own, it is gone. That is a tragedy.
I am grateful that no lives were lost. Thankfully, everyone walked away safely. And thank you to our brave firefighters and emergency personnel who responded quickly and worked tirelessly through the night to protect lives and surrounding properties. Our men and women who serve this country 24/7 deserve our deepest respect.
But compassion must be more than statements. It must be action. Roosevelt Skerrit’s offering of only thoughts and prayers is not a recovery plan. Sympathy without structure does not rebuild businesses.
Under my government, there will be a permanent emergency resilience fund specifically designed to help small business owners recover from disasters like this. Every year, money will be set aside and protected, not for vanity projects, not for political favours, not for selective gifts, but to ensure that when tragedy strikes, help is immediate and guaranteed.
If the fund is not used in a given year, it will grow. It will accumulate. It will be there when our people need it most.
The government should not have to scramble to decide which department must lose funding to respond to a crisis. Responsible leadership plans. Responsible leadership prepares.
This fund will exist for one purpose: to help hardworking citizens rebuild their lives with dignity and respect.
In the meantime, I sincerely hope that a reputable individual or organization establishes a transparent fundraising effort to assist those affected. When that happens, I will personally contribute what I can. It may not be a large amount, but it will be a start, and I encourage others who can do the same.
To those who lost everything: I am truly sorry this happened to you. While it may feel impossible to see any light right now, I hope that in time, strength, unity, and opportunity rise from this hardship. Dominicans take care of one another. And we will continue to do so. You are not alone, I promise you.
