Dominica

Local government information correct as of 2009

Keyfacts

POPULATION (Census 2001): 69,625
AREA: 751 sq km
CAPITAL: Roseau
LOCAL GOVERNMENT CONTRIBUTION TO GDP: 0.2%
CURRENCY: Eastern Caribbean dollar (XCD)
HEAD OF STATE: President Dr Nicholas Liverpool
HEAD OF GOVERNMENT: Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit
FORM OF GOVERNMENT: parliamentary democracy
PARLIAMENTARY SYSTEM: unicameral
STATE STRUCTURE: unitary
LANGUAGES: English (official)
NATIONAL ELECTIONS: last: 2009; turnout: - next: 2014
LOCAL ELECTIONS: No information has been provided for this edition.

Summary

Dominica is a democratic republic with two spheres of government: national and local. There is no provision for local government in the constitution and the main governing laws are the Town Council Act 1937, the Village Council Act 1954, the Carib Council Act 1978, the City Council Act 1984 and the Urban
Council Act 1992. The Ministry of Community Development, Gender Affairs and Information is responsible for overseeing all local government, which comprises one city, one town and one urban council, 37 village councils and the Carib Council. Councils are empowered to levy house and land taxes and borrow a limited amount of money, while the central government’s contribution includes revenue-matching grant and a standard grant. The main service for which local government is responsible, and which constitutes the major part of local government spending, is road maintenance.

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