# Dominica - United States Department of State

- Dominica HomeReportsBureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor2023 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices&#8230;Dominica				hide	document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", function(event) {	if(window.jQuery) {		jQuery( document ).ready(function() {			if (jQuery(".bc_middle").hasClass("collapse")) {				jQuery(".bc_ellipse").click(function(){					jQuery(".bc_hide").toggleClass("visible");					jQuery(".bc_middle").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_ellipse").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_content").toggleClass("noflex");					jQuery(".block_breadcrumbs_content").toggleClass("noflex");				});				jQuery(".bc_hide").click(function(){					jQuery(".bc_hide").toggleClass("visible");					jQuery(".bc_middle").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_ellipse").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_content").toggleClass("noflex");					jQuery(".block_breadcrumbs_content").toggleClass("noflex");				});			} else {				jQuery(".bc_ellipse").hide();			}		});	}});																							2023 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: Dominica																																					Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor																																																																																							Download Report																																																							Translations																																																																 In this section										/																							EXECUTIVE SUMMARY																																													EXECUTIVE SUMMARY																															Section 1. Respect for the Integrity of the Person																																																									a. Arbitrary Deprivation of Life and Other Unlawful or Politically Motivated Killings																																																																											b. Disappearance																																																																											c. Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, and Other Related Abuses																																																																			Prison and Detention Center Conditions																																																																																																																		d. Arbitrary Arrest or Detention																																																																			Arrest Procedures and Treatment of Detainees																																																																																																																		e. Denial of Fair Public Trial																																																																			Trial Procedures																																																								Political Prisoners and Detainees																																																																																																																		f. Transnational Repression																																																																											g. Property Seizure and Restitution																																																																											h. Arbitrary or Unlawful Interference with Privacy, Family, Home, or Correspondence																																																																																	Section 2. Respect for Civil Liberties																																																									a. Freedom of Expression, Including for Members of the Press and Other Media																																																																			Internet Freedom																																																																																																																		b. Freedoms of Peaceful Assembly and Association																																																																											c. Freedom of Religion																																																																											d. Freedom of Movement and the Right to Leave the Country																																																																											e. Protection of Refugees																																																																																	Section 3. Freedom to Participate in the Political Process																																																									Elections and Political Participation																																																																																	Section 4. Corruption in Government																															Section 5. Governmental Posture Towards International and Nongovernmental Monitoring and Investigation of Alleged Abuses of Human Rights																															Section 6. Discrimination and Societal Abuses																																																									Women																																																																											Systemic Racial or Ethnic Violence and Discrimination																																																																											Indigenous Peoples																																																																											Children																																																																											Antisemitism																																																																											Trafficking in Persons																																																																											Acts of Violence, Criminalization, and Other Abuses Based on Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity or Expression, or Sex Characteristics																																																																											Persons with Disabilities																																																																											Other Societal Violence or Discrimination																																																																																	Section 7. Worker Rights																																																									a. Freedom of Association and the Right to Collective Bargaining																																																																											b. Prohibition of Forced or Compulsory Labor																																																																											c. Prohibition of Child Labor and Minimum Age for Employment																																																																											d. Discrimination (see section 6)																																																																											e. Acceptable Conditions of Work																																																																																																							EXECUTIVE SUMMARY				There were no significant changes in the human rights situation in Dominica during the year.Significant human rights issues included credible reports of:  laws criminalizing consensual same-sex sexual conduct between adults, although not enforced; and the existence of any of the worst forms of child labor.The government took credible steps to identify and punish officials who may have committed human rights abuses.																														Section 1.													 Respect for the Integrity of the Person												    																																																a. Arbitrary Deprivation of Life and Other Unlawful or Politically Motivated Killings										There were no reports the government or its agents committed arbitrary or unlawful killings, including extrajudicial killings, during the year.																																				b. Disappearance										There were no reports of disappearances by or on behalf of government authorities.																																				c. Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, and Other Related Abuses										The constitution prohibited such practices, and there were no credible reports government officials employed them.																Prison and Detention Center Conditions						There were no significant reports regarding prison or detention center conditions that raised human rights concerns.Administration:  Authorities investigated credible allegations of mistreatment.Independent Monitoring:  The government permitted visits by independent human rights observers.																										d. Arbitrary Arrest or Detention										The law prohibited arbitrary arrest and detention and provided for the right of any person to challenge the lawfulness of their arrest or detention in court.  The government generally observed these requirements.																Arrest Procedures and Treatment of Detainees						Police used warrants issued by a judicial authority to apprehend persons.  The law required that authorities inform detainees of the reasons for their arrest within 24 hours and bring them to court within 72 hours.  Authorities generally observed these requirements.  If authorities were unable to bring a detainee to court within the requisite period, the person could be released and rearrested later.  There was a functioning bail system.  Criminal detainees had prompt access to counsel and family members.  The state provided a lawyer for indigent defendants only in murder cases.Pretrial Detention:  Lengthy pretrial detention was a problem due to judicial staff shortages.  According to prison management, prisoners remained on remand status for months or even years.																										e. Denial of Fair Public Trial										The constitution provided for an independent judiciary, and the government generally respected judicial independence and impartiality.Inadequate prosecutorial and police staffing, outdated legislation, and an insufficient number of magistrates resulted in backlogs and other problems in the judicial system.																Trial Procedures						The constitution provided for the right to a fair and public trial, and the judiciary generally enforced this right.						Political Prisoners and Detainees						There were no reports of political prisoners or detainees.																										f. Transnational Repression										Not applicable.																																				g. Property Seizure and Restitution										Not applicable.																																				h. Arbitrary or Unlawful Interference with Privacy, Family, Home, or Correspondence										The constitution prohibited such actions, and there were no reports the government failed to respect these prohibitions.																																					Section 2.													 Respect for Civil Liberties												    																																																a. Freedom of Expression, Including for Members of the Press and Other Media										The constitution provided for freedom of expression, including for members of the press and other media, and the government generally respected this right.  An independent press, an effective judiciary, and a functioning democratic political system combined to promote freedom of expression, including for media members.Libel/Slander Laws:  Defamation was a criminal offense punishable by imprisonment or fines.  The law was rarely enforced.																Internet Freedom						The government did not restrict or disrupt access to the internet or censor online content.																										b. Freedoms of Peaceful Assembly and Association										The constitution provided for the freedoms of peaceful assembly and association, and the government generally respected these rights.																																				c. Freedom of Religion										See the Department of State’s International Religious Freedom Report at  https://www.state.gov/religiousfreedomreport/.																																				d. Freedom of Movement and the Right to Leave the Country										The law provided for freedom of internal movement, foreign travel, emigration, and repatriation, and the government generally respected these rights.  Individuals residing outside the Kalinago community were required to apply to the Kalinago Council for special access if they wished to live in the Kalinago Territory.																																				e. Protection of Refugees										No information was available on the government’s cooperation with the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.Access to Asylum:  The law provided for the granting of asylum and refugee status, but the government had not established systems for determining when to grant asylum or to protect refugees.																																					Section 3.													 Freedom to Participate in the Political Process												    																						The constitution provided citizens the ability to choose their government in free and fair periodic elections held by secret ballot and based on universal and equal suffrage.																										Elections and Political Participation										Abuses or Irregularities in Recent Elections:  National elections were widely reported to be fair and free of abuses and irregularities.																																					Section 4.													 Corruption in Government												    																						The law provided criminal penalties for corruption by officials, and the government generally implemented the law effectively.  The opposition and some opposition-aligned local media raised allegations of corruption within the government, including abuse of funds from the Citizenship by Investment program.For additional information concerning corruption in the country, please see the Department of State’s Investment Climate Statement for the country and the Department of State’s International Narcotics Control Strategy Report, which includes information on financial crimes.																											Section 5.													 Governmental Posture Towards International and Nongovernmental Monitoring and Investigation of Alleged Abuses of Human Rights												    																						Several domestic and international human rights and advocacy organizations generally operated without government restriction to monitor or investigate human rights conditions or cases and publish their findings.  Government officials were somewhat cooperative and responsive to the views of these groups.Government Human Rights Bodies:  According to the constitution, a parliamentary integrity commissioner was responsible for investigating complaints against the government.  The position of commissioner, however, had never been filled.																											Section 6.													 Discrimination and Societal Abuses												    																																																Women										Rape and Domestic Violence:  The law criminalized rape of women and men, including spousal and domestic or intimate partner rape and other forms of domestic and sexual violence.  The law did not explicitly include so-called corrective rape of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or intersex (LGBTQI+) persons.  The government generally enforced the law effectively.  Although the maximum sentence for sexual molestation (rape or incest) was 25 years’ imprisonment, the usual sentence was five to seven years.  Whenever possible, women police officers handled rape cases involving women survivors.  Women were reluctant to report domestic violence for a variety of reasons, including a lack of follow-up by police.In April, parliament approved the Domestic Violence Act to provide police with additional powers in domestic violence cases.  Authorities reported government personnel regularly conducted public education campaigns via radio programs and informal community discussions in villages.  Social workers worked with individual survivors to help them become economically and socially independent.  The government also provided food vouchers and hygiene supplies.  There was no functioning shelter for survivors of gender-based violence.The Gender Affairs Division managed a WhatsApp number for survivors to report instances of abuse.  Survivors could also be referred to receive counseling by government counselors or private counselors.  The government paid the cost of counseling for up to six sessions.  Some counselors provided their services free of charge.The law allowed survivors of abuse to appear before a magistrate without an attorney to request a protective order.Other Forms of Gender-based Violence or Harassment:  The law did not prohibit sexual harassment.  Civil society groups reported it was a pervasive problem.Discrimination:  The constitution provided women with the same legal rights as men.  The government generally enforced the law effectively, but property deeds were given to heads of households, usually men.  Some deeds for newly constructed houses with assistance from the government and foreign governments included both male and female names listed, regardless of marital status.The law required equal pay for civil service positions, but not for other positions, although women and men generally received equal salaries for comparable jobs.  There were legal restrictions on employment of women working at night.  Women were excluded from working in some industries, including mining, construction, energy, water, and transportation.  No laws prohibited gender discrimination or sexual harassment in employment.Reproductive Rights:  There were no reports of coerced abortion or involuntary sterilization on the part of government authorities.Contraception was widely available, including for the purpose of family planning.  There were no legal barriers to accessing contraception, although religious beliefs and cultural upbringing limited their use.  The Ministry of Health’s Welfare Division and the National Council of Women provided access to sexual and reproductive health services for survivors of sexual violence.  Other government departments, including the Bureau of Gender Affairs, Social Welfare Department, Adult Education Division, and Health Services and Housing Division, also assisted survivors of sexual violence and other forms of gender-based violence.  Survivors of sexual violence could access services from any public hospital, but emergency contraception or postexposure prophylaxis for survivors of rape and incest was not routinely available, due to limited health-care infrastructure and supplies.																																				Systemic Racial or Ethnic Violence and Discrimination										The constitution prohibited discrimination based on race, place of origin, color, or creed.  There were no reports of governmental or societal violence or discrimination against members of racial, ethnic, or national minorities.																																				Indigenous Peoples										The government recognized the special status of the Kalinago Indigenous group, and their rights were protected in law and practice.  The Kalinago population was approximately 3,000, and most lived in the 3,782-acre Kalinago Territory.  The law established the Kalinago Territory and assigned management authority over the territory to the local council, which had veto power over new infrastructure projects in the territory.  Some societal discrimination against the Kalinago existed.																																				Children										Child Abuse:  The law prohibited child abuse, but according to the government and civil society, it was a pervasive problem.  The government enforced the law effectively.  In November, the resident High Court judge imposed a term of 18 years’ imprisonment against a former fire department officer convicted of sexually abusing a child.The government maintained a Child Abuse Prevention Unit responsible for protecting children from all forms of abuse.  The unit supported victims by providing counseling, psychological assessments, and other services such as financial assistance to abused children and to family members.Child, Early, and Forced Marriage:  The legal minimum age for marriage was 18, but marriage was permitted at age 16 with parental consent.  The government enforced the law effectively.Sexual Exploitation of Children:  The law prohibited the grooming or using children for commercial sexual exploitation, including child sex trafficking.  The law did not explicitly include the sale of children.  Child sex trafficking and related activities could be prosecuted under laws against prostitution or trafficking.  The age of consent for sexual relations was 16.  The law protected all persons from “unlawful sexual connection,” rape, procurement for commercial sex, and incest.  It prohibited sexual intercourse between a child younger than 15 and an adult and increased the penalty to 25 years’ imprisonment for an adult who raped a child whom the adult employed or controlled, or to whom the adult paid wages.  The maximum sentence for sexual intercourse with a person younger than 14 was 25 years in prison.  Authorities enforced the law effectively.No laws or regulations explicitly prohibited the use of children in pornography or pornographic performances.Civil society representatives reported sexual exploitation of children was pervasive, with family members often turning a blind eye in instances when the perpetrator was economically contributing to the household.																																				Antisemitism										There was no organized Jewish community in the country, and there were no reports of discrimination or antisemitic incidents.																																				Trafficking in Persons										There were no confirmed reports during the year that traffickers exploited domestic or foreign victims in the country or that traffickers exploited victims from abroad.																																				Acts of Violence, Criminalization, and Other Abuses Based on Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity or Expression, or Sex Characteristics										Criminalization:  Consensual same-sex sexual conduct was illegal under indecency statutes.  The law also prohibited anal intercourse between males.  The government reported it rarely enforced either statute, with no instances of the law being enforced through the end of November.  Indecency statutes carried a maximum penalty of 12 years in prison, and same-sex sexual conduct between consenting men carried a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, with the possibility of forced psychiatric confinement upon release.  While neutral laws were not disproportionately applied to LGBTQI+ persons, there were no credible efforts by the government to rescind discriminatory laws against LGBTQI+ persons.Violence and Harassment:  Civil society representatives reported LGBTQI+ victims of violence or harassment by nonstate actors avoided notifying police of abuse because of social stigma and fear of harassment.  Representatives further reported that in some cases where police were notified of attacks against LGBTQI+ persons, police either rejected the claims or failed to investigate them effectively.Discrimination:  No laws prohibited discrimination against a person based on sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, or sex characteristics in employment, housing, education, or health care.  Civil society representatives reported some LGBTQI+ individuals were denied access to housing and dismissed from employment.  Civil society reported the LGBTQI+ community was largely in hiding.  LGBTQI+ persons were subject to abuse and discrimination, with young persons particularly at risk.  The law did not recognize LGBTQI+ couples and their families or grant them rights equal to rights of other persons.Availability of Legal Gender Recognition:  There was no legislation regarding legal gender recognition.Involuntary or Coercive Medical or Psychological Practices:  There were no reports of involuntary or coercive medical or psychological practices specifically targeting LGBTQI+ individuals.  There were no reports medically unnecessary and irreversible “normalization” surgeries were performed on children or nonconsenting adult intersex persons.Restrictions of Freedom of Expression, Association, or Peaceful Assembly:  There were no legal restrictions on freedom of expression, association, or peaceful assembly regarding LGBTQI + matters.  Stigma and fear of abuse and intimidation reportedly prevented LGBTQI+ organizations from developing their membership or conducting activities such as Pride marches.																																				Persons with Disabilities										Persons with disabilities did not have access to education, employment, health services, public buildings, or transportation on an equal basis with others.  There was no legal requirement mandating access to buildings for persons with disabilities.  Few buildings, including public buildings, provided access for persons with physical disabilities.Representatives of civil society organizations reported accessibility problems existed in the physical environment of some schools and with educational accommodations for persons with disabilities.  Most schools built after Hurricane Maria (2017) were accessible.  Persons with disabilities were able to access only the first floor of some health centers.  They reported there were no accessible buses and sometimes persons with wheelchairs were forced to pay an additional fare to accommodate the wheelchair.  Some polling stations were not accessible for persons with disabilities.Children with physical disabilities and those with hearing and vision disabilities were integrated into mainstream schools.  Civil society representatives reported a lack of special trained teachers and facilitators at public schools to assist children with disabilities.  The government provided stipends to cover educational expenses in private, separate schools for children with intellectual or mental disabilities.  A national commission for persons with disabilities provided guidance on the rights of these persons.Discrimination in employment and occupation occurred against persons with disabilities.  The law permitted employers to pay lower wages to persons with disabilities.The government provided partial financial support for a civil society organization focused on advocating for and improving the lives of persons with disabilities.																																				Other Societal Violence or Discrimination										Reports from civil society indicated individuals with HIV feared job discrimination if their HIV status became public.  This resulted in some patients not seeking medical treatment.																																					Section 7.													 Worker Rights												    																																																a. Freedom of Association and the Right to Collective Bargaining										The law provided for the right of workers to form and join independent unions, bargain collectively, and conduct legal strikes; workers exercised these rights.  Workers exercised the right to collective bargaining primarily in the nonagricultural sectors of the economy, including in the civil service.  The law prohibited antiunion discrimination.The government enforced applicable labor laws, and penalties were commensurate with those of other laws involving denial of civil rights such as discrimination.  Employers were required to reinstate workers who filed a complaint of illegal dismissal, pending review of the complaint, which could cover termination for engaging in union activities.  When essential workers conducted strikes, generally they did not suffer reprisals.  Employers generally reinstated or paid compensation to employees who obtained favorable rulings by the ministry following a complaint of illegal dismissal.The law designated emergency, port, electricity, telecommunications, and prison services, as well as the banana, coconut, and citrus fruit cultivation industries, as “essential,” limiting the right to strike in those industries.  The International Labor Organization noted the list of essential services was broader than international standards.  The procedure for essential workers to strike was cumbersome, involving appropriate notice and submission of the grievance to the labor commissioner for possible mediation.  Strikes in essential services could be subject to compulsory arbitration.The government and employers generally respected freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining.  The government generally enforced applicable laws.  There was no information available concerning the application of penalties against violators.  Few disputes escalated to strikes or sickouts.  A company, a union representative, or an individual could request mediation by the Ministry of Justice, Immigration, and National Security.Small, family-owned farms employed most agricultural workers, and workers on such farms were not unionized.																																				b. Prohibition of Forced or Compulsory Labor										The constitution prohibited most forms of forced or compulsory labor, but the law did not prescribe penalties for forced labor.  The law also did not criminalize forced labor except when it resulted from human trafficking.  The government effectively enforced the law.																																				c. Prohibition of Child Labor and Minimum Age for Employment										See the Department of Labor’s Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor at  https://www.dol.gov/agencies/ilab/resources/reports/child-labor/findings&nbsp;/.																																				d. Discrimination (see section 6)																																														e. Acceptable Conditions of Work										Wage and Hour Laws:  The law did not establish a universal minimum wage but instead set base wages depending on the category of worker.  No reliable recent data indicated whether average minimum wages were above or below the poverty income level.The law provided for overtime pay for work above the standard workweek of 40 hours.  The law did not specifically prohibit forced or compulsory overtime.  The law required employees to give prior agreement to work overtime and employers to pay overtime wages at a minimum of 1.5 times an employee’s standard wage.  There were no prosecutions reported for violations of overtime regulations.Occupational Safety and Health:  The law stipulated that occupational safety and health (OSH) standards be consistent with international standards.  Workers had the right to remove themselves from unsafe work environments without jeopardizing their employment, and authorities recommended they report the matter to the Labor Division first.  The division had the responsibility to approach the employer regarding the matter.  Authorities reported employees were not encouraged to act on their own.Quarry workers faced hazardous conditions.  Some reports claimed workers entered mines before adequate time elapsed after blasting, which exposed them to hazardous chemicals.Wage, Hour, and OSH Enforcement:  Enforcement was the responsibility of the labor commissioner within the Ministry of Justice, Immigration, and National Security.  Enforcement included the informal sector, where workers were not commonly unionized.  Inspectors had the authority to make unannounced inspections.  No information was available regarding whether penalties were generally applied against violators.The government stated it held educational sessions, employer consultations, telephone consultations after inspections, and public education campaigns to encourage compliance with OSH and wage regulations.The informal sector was a significant part of the economy, but credible data on the size of the informal workforce were unavailable.  The government enforced labor laws in this sector.																																				    							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Respect for the Integrity of the Person																																							a. Arbitrary Deprivation of Life and Other Unlawful or Politically Motivated Killings																																																						b. Disappearance																																																						c. Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, and Other Related Abuses																																																				Prison and Detention Center Conditions																																																																																				d. Arbitrary Arrest or Detention																																																				Arrest Procedures and Treatment of Detainees																																																																																				e. Denial of Fair Public Trial																																																				Trial Procedures																																												Political Prisoners and Detainees																																																																																				f. Transnational Repression																																																						g. Property Seizure and Restitution																																																						h. Arbitrary or Unlawful Interference with Privacy, Family, Home, or Correspondence																																																			Section 2. Respect for Civil Liberties																																							a. Freedom of Expression, Including for Members of the Press and Other Media																																																				Internet Freedom																																																																																				b. Freedoms of Peaceful Assembly and Association																																																						c. Freedom of Religion																																																						d. Freedom of Movement and the Right to Leave the Country																																																						e. Protection of Refugees																																																			Section 3. Freedom to Participate in the Political Process																																							Elections and Political Participation																																																			Section 4. Corruption in Government																Section 5. Governmental Posture Towards International and Nongovernmental Monitoring and Investigation of Alleged Abuses of Human Rights																Section 6. Discrimination and Societal Abuses																																							Women																																																						Systemic Racial or Ethnic Violence and Discrimination																																																						Indigenous Peoples																																																						Children																																																						Antisemitism																																																						Trafficking in Persons																																																						Acts of Violence, Criminalization, and Other Abuses Based on Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity or Expression, or Sex Characteristics																																																						Persons with Disabilities																																																						Other Societal Violence or Discrimination																																																			Section 7. Worker Rights																																							a. Freedom of Association and the Right to Collective Bargaining																																																						b. Prohibition of Forced or Compulsory Labor																																																						c. Prohibition of Child Labor and Minimum Age for Employment																																																						d. Discrimination (see section 6)																																																						e. Acceptable Conditions of Work																																																									Tags																					Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor																								Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs																								Dominica
- Dominica National Day Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of StateOn behalf of the United States of America, congratulations to the people of Dominica on the 45th anniversary of your independence.Dominica and the United States share an enduring commitment to tackle complex and critical issues, including climate resilience, energy security, and citizen security. Our partnership is based on shared democratic values and a common vision for inclusive and sustainable prosperity.The United States and Dominica will continue our work together under the U.S.-Caribbean Partnership to Address the Climate Crisis (PACC 2030), which includes technical assistance to advance geothermal energy for the people of Dominica. Our countries will also continue cooperation through the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative to combat transnational organized crime and illicit trafficking.Best wishes from me and the American people for a happy and prosperous year ahead for all the people of Dominica.						Tags																					Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs																								Dominica																								Office of the Spokesperson																								The Secretary of State
- Dominica HomeReportsBureau of Economic and Business Affairs2023 Investment Climate Statements&#8230;Dominica				hide	document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", function(event) {	if(window.jQuery) {		jQuery( document ).ready(function() {			if (jQuery(".bc_middle").hasClass("collapse")) {				jQuery(".bc_ellipse").click(function(){					jQuery(".bc_hide").toggleClass("visible");					jQuery(".bc_middle").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_ellipse").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_content").toggleClass("noflex");					jQuery(".block_breadcrumbs_content").toggleClass("noflex");				});				jQuery(".bc_hide").click(function(){					jQuery(".bc_hide").toggleClass("visible");					jQuery(".bc_middle").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_ellipse").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_content").toggleClass("noflex");					jQuery(".block_breadcrumbs_content").toggleClass("noflex");				});			} else {				jQuery(".bc_ellipse").hide();			}		});	}});																							2023 Investment Climate Statements: Dominica																																																																																												 In this section										/																							EXECUTIVE SUMMARY																																													EXECUTIVE SUMMARY																															1. Openness To, and Restrictions Upon, Foreign Investment																																																									Policies Towards Foreign Direct Investment																																																																											Limits on Foreign Control and Right to Private Ownership and Establishment																																																																											Other Investment Policy Reviews																																																																											Business Facilitation																																																																											Outward Investment																																																																																	2. Bilateral Investment and Taxation Treaties																															3. Legal Regime																																																									Transparency of the Regulatory System																																																																											International Regulatory Considerations																																																																											Legal System and Judicial Independence																																																																											Laws and Regulations on Foreign Direct Investment																																																																											Citizenship by Investment																																																																											Competition and Antitrust Laws																																																																											Expropriation and Compensation																																																																											Dispute Settlement																																																																			ICSID Convention and New York Convention																																																								Investor-State Dispute Settlement																																																								International Commercial Arbitration and Foreign Courts																																																																																																																		Bankruptcy Regulations																																																																																	4. Industrial Policies																																																									Investment Incentives																																																																											Foreign Trade Zones/Free Ports/Trade Facilitation																																																																											Performance and Data Localization Requirements																																																																																	5. Protection of Property Rights																																																									Real Property																																																																											Intellectual Property Rights																																																																																	6. Financial Sector																																																									Capital Markets and Portfolio Investment																																																																											Money and Banking System																																																																											Foreign Exchange and Remittances																																																																			Foreign Exchange																																																								Remittance Policies																																																																																																																		Sovereign Wealth Funds																																																																																	7. State-Owned Enterprises																																																									Privatization Program																																																																																	8. Responsible Business Conduct																																																									Additional Resources																																																																											Climate Issues																																																																																	9. Corruption																																																									Resources to Report Corruption																																																																																	10. Political and Security Environment																															11. Labor Policies and Practices																															12. U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC), and Other Investment Insurance or Development Finance Programs																															13. Foreign Direct Investment Statistics																															14. Contact for More Information																																																					EXECUTIVE SUMMARY				The Commonwealth of Dominica (Dominica) is a member of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) and the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union (ECCU).  The Government of Dominica strongly encourages foreign direct investment, particularly in industries that create jobs, earn foreign currency, and have a positive impact on its citizens.  Dominica remains vulnerable to external shocks such as climate change impacts, natural hazards, and global economic downturns.  According to Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB) figures, the economy of Dominica had an estimated GDP of $612.0 million (1,652.5 million Eastern Caribbean dollars) in 2022. Like most of the Eastern Caribbean, the country continues to grapple with the fall-out of the COVID-19 pandemic, supply-chain issues and rising food and fuel prices associated with Russia’s war on-Ukraine. As of May 2023, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) forecast that the economy will grow by 4.9% in 2023.Reconstruction efforts continue from the devastation caused by Hurricane Maria in 2017.  Losses from Hurricane Maria were estimated at $1.37 billion or 226 percent of GDP.  The efforts were delayed by the Covid-19 pandemic however the government has recently restarted infrastructural projects in housing and tourism. The Government of Dominica is also placing impetus on the modernization and expansion of the agricultural sector ad enhanced food security efforts.Through its economic policies, the government is seeking to stimulate sustainable and climate-resilient economic growth by implementing a revised macroeconomic framework that includes strengthening the nation’s fiscal framework.  The government states it is committed to creating a vibrant business climate to attract more foreign investment.Dominica remains a small emerging market in the Eastern Caribbean, with investment opportunities mainly in the service sector, particularly in eco-tourism, information and communication technologies, and education.  Other opportunities exist in alternative energy, including geothermal energy, and capital works, due to reconstruction and new tourism projects.The government provides some investment incentives for businesses that are considering establishing operations in Dominica, encouraging both domestic and foreign private investment.  Foreign investors can repatriate all profits and dividends and can import capital. Dominica’s legal system is based on British common law.  It does not have a bilateral investment treaty with the United States, though it does have bilateral investment treaties with Germany and the UK.In 2018, the Government of Dominica signed an Intergovernmental Agreement to implement the U.S. Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA), making it mandatory for banks in Dominica to report the banking information of U.S. citizens.Table 1: Key Metrics and RankingsMeasureYearIndex/RankWebsite AddressTI Corruption Perceptions Index202245 of 180http://www.transparency.org/research/cpi/overviewGlobal Innovation Index2022N/Ahttps://www.globalinnovationindex.org/analysis-indicatorU.S. FDI in partner country ($M USD, historical stock positions)2021N/Ahttps://apps.bea.gov/international/factsheetWorld Bank GNI per capita2021$7,790http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NY.GNP.PCAP.CD																																					1. Openness To, and Restrictions Upon, Foreign Investment						    																																																Policies Towards Foreign Direct Investment										The Government of Dominica strongly encourages foreign direct investment (FDI), particularly in industries that create jobs, earn foreign currency, and have a positive impact on local citizens.Through the Invest Dominica Authority (IDA), the government instituted several investment incentives for businesses considering locating in Dominica.  Government policies provide liberal tax holidays, duty-free import of equipment and materials, exemption from value added tax on some capital investments, and withholding tax exemptions on dividends, interest payments, and some external payments and income.  The IDA additionally provides support to approved citizenship by investment projects. Dominica also has a citizenship by investment program to facilitate certain forms of FDI (see section on Laws and Regulations on foreign investment for additional details).The IDA launched a new Investment Promotion Strategy in 2021.  The new strategy is focused on four sectors: organic agri-business, aquaculture and manufacturing; renewable energy, tourism, and knowledge services such as business processing operations.  Other sectors include film, music, and video production, bulk water export and bottled water operations, medical and nursing schools, and English language training services.  The government continuously reviews these sectors. While these sectors are priorities, the government broadly welcomes FDI. More information is available on the IDA website:  https://www.investdominica.com/ .																																				Limits on Foreign Control and Right to Private Ownership and Establishment										Local laws do not place any limits on foreign control in Dominica.  Foreign investment in Dominica is not subject to any restrictions, and foreign investors are entitled to receive the same treatment as nationals of Dominica. Foreign investors are entitled to hold up to 100 percent of their investment.  The only restriction is the requirement to obtain an Alien Landholders License for foreign investors seeking to purchase property for residential or commercial purposes.  Local enterprises generally welcome joint ventures with foreign investors in order to access technology, expertise, markets, and capital.The IDA has the authority to review all proposed investments that apply for government incentives to ensure that the project is consistent with the country’s laws and national interest and would provide economic benefits to Dominica. The review process is transparent. The investor must complete a series of steps to obtain a business license. These steps are listed at  https://www.investdominica.com .																																				Other Investment Policy Reviews										In May 2023, the World Trade Organization (WTO) conducted a trade policy review of the OECS of which Dominica is a member. The full report is available at  https://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/tpr_e/tp537_e.htm . There have not been any investment policy reviews of Dominica by civil society organizations in the past five years.																																				Business Facilitation										The IDA is Dominica’s main business facilitation unit. It facilitates foreign direct investment into priority sectors and advises the government on the formation and implementation of policies and programs to attract investment in Dominica. The IDA provides business support services and market intelligence to all investors. It offers an online tool useful for navigating laws, rules, procedures, and registration requirements for foreign investors. Its website is  https://www.investdominica.com .All potential investors applying for government incentives must submit their proposals for review by the IDA to ensure the project is consistent with the national interest and provides economic benefits to the country.The Companies and Intellectual Property Office (CIPO) maintains an e-filing portal for most of its services, including company registration on its website. However, this only allows for the preliminary processing of applications prior to the investor physically making a payment at the Supreme Court office and submitting the printed signed forms to the CIPO. Investors are advised to seek the advice of a local attorney prior to starting the process. Further information is available at  http://www.cipo.gov.dm .Businesses must register with CIPO, the Tax Authority, and the Social Services Institute. The general practice for registration is to retain an attorney who prepares all the relevant incorporation documents.																																				Outward Investment										Local laws do not place any restrictions on domestic investors seeking to do business abroad. Local companies in Dominica are actively encouraged to take advantage of export opportunities specifically related to the country’s membership in the OECS Economic Union and the Caribbean Community Single Market and Economy (CSME), which enhance the competitiveness of the local and regional private sectors across traditional and emerging high-potential markets.																																												2. Bilateral Investment and Taxation Treaties						    																						Dominica has not signed a bilateral investment treaty with the United States. It benefits from the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act (CBERA), which was implemented in January 1984. CBERA is intended to facilitate the development of stable Caribbean Basin economies by providing beneficiary countries with duty-free access to the U.S. market for most goods. Dominica has bilateral investment treaties with Germany and the UK. Dominica has bilateral tax treaties with the United States and the UK.Dominica is a member of the OECD Inclusive Framework on Base Erosion and Profit Sharing and is party to the Inclusive Framework’s October 2021 deal on the two-pillar solution to global tax challenges, including a global minimum corporate tax.Dominica is also party to the following:Caribbean Community (CARICOM)The Treaty of Chaguaramas established CARICOM in 1973 to promote economic integration among its 15 member states. Investors operating in Dominica have preferential access to the entire CARICOM market. The Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas established the CSME, which permits the free movement of goods, capital, and labor within CARICOM member states. CARICOM has bilateral agreements with Cuba, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, and Venezuela.  In 2013, CARICOM entered into a Trade and Investment Framework Agreement with the United States.Organization of Eastern Caribbean StatesThe Treaty of Basseterre established the OECS in 1981. The OECS consists of seven full members (Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines), and four associate members (Anguilla, the British Virgin Islands, Guadeloupe, and Martinique). The purpose of the Treaty is to promote harmonization among member states in foreign policy, defense and security, and economic affairs. The seven full members ratified the Revised Treaty of Basseterre establishing the OECS Economic Union, which entered into force in 2011. The Economic Union established a single financial and economic space within which goods, services, and people move without hindrance.Caribbean Basin InitiativeThe Caribbean Basin Initiative facilitates the economic development and export diversification of the Caribbean Basin economies. It encourages private sector initiatives by expanding foreign and domestic investment in non-traditional sectors, diversifying country economies, and expanding their imports, and it permits duty-free entry of eligible products manufactured or assembled in Dominica into the United States.CARIFORUM- EU Economic Partnership AgreementThe European Community and the Caribbean Forum (CARIFORUM) states signed an Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) in 2008. CARIFORUM consists of the independent Anglophone CARCOM member states, the Dominican Republic and Suriname. The overarching objectives of the EPA are to alleviate poverty in CARIFORUM states, to promote regional integration and economic cooperation, and to foster the gradual integration of the CARIFORUM states into the world economy by improving their trade capacity and creating an investment-conducive environment. The EPA promotes trade-related developments in areas such as competition, intellectual property, public procurement, the environment, and protection of personal data.CARIFORUM-UK Economic Partnership AgreementThe UK and CARIFORUM signed an EPA in 2019, committing to trade continuity after Britain’s departure from the European Union. The CARIFORUM-UK EPA eliminates tariffs on all goods imported from CARIFORUM states into the UK, while those Caribbean states will continue to gradually cut import tariffs on most of the region’s imports from the UK.Caribbean/Canada Trade AgreementThe Caribbean/Canada Trade Agreement (CARIBCAN) is an economic and trade development assistance program for Commonwealth Caribbean countries. Through CARIBCAN, Canada provides duty-free access to its national market for most products originating in Commonwealth Caribbean countries.																																		3. Legal Regime						    																																																Transparency of the Regulatory System										The Government of Dominica provides a legal framework to foster competition and establish clear rules for foreign and domestic investors in the areas of tax, labor, environment, health, and safety. The Ministry of Finance and the IDA provide oversight of the transparency of the system as it relates to investment.Rule-making and regulatory authority lies within the unicameral parliament. The parliament has 21 members elected for a five-year term in single-seat constituencies, nine appointed members, one speaker, and one clerk.Relevant ministries develop laws which are drafted by the Ministry of National Security and Legal Affairs. FDI is governed principally through the laws that oversee the IDA and the Citizenship by Investment program. Laws are available online at  http://www.dominica.gov.dm/laws-of-dominica .Although some draft bills are not subject to public consultation, the government generally solicits input from various stakeholder groups in the formulation of laws. In some instances, the government convenes a special committee to make recommendations on provisions outlined in the law. The government uses public awareness campaigns to sensitize the general population on legislative reforms. Copies of proposed regulations are published in the official gazette shortly before the bills are taken to parliament. Although Dominica does not have legislation guaranteeing access to information or freedom of expression, access to information is generally available in practice. The government maintains a website and an information service on which it posts information such as directories of officials and a summary of laws and press releases.The International Financial Accounting Standards, which stem from the General Accepted Accounting Principles, govern the accounting profession in Dominica. Accounting, legal, and regulatory procedures are generally transparent and consistent with international norms.The Office of the Parliamentary Commissioner or Ombudsman guards against excesses by government officers in the performance of their duties. The Ombudsman is responsible for investigating complaints related to any decision or act of any government officer or body in any case in which a member of the public claims to be aggrieved or appears to the Ombudsman to be the victim of injustice as a result of the exercise of the administrative function of that officer or body. The government does not promote nor require companies’ environmental, social, and governance disclosures.Dominica’s membership in regional organizations, particularly the OECS and its Economic Union, commits it to implement all appropriate measures to ensure the fulfillment of its various treaty obligations. For example, the Banking Act, which establishes a single banking space and the harmonization of banking regulations in the Economic Union, is uniformly in force in the eight member territories of the ECCU, although there are some minor differences in implementation from country to country. The enforcement mechanisms of these regulations include penalties or legal sanctions.The enforcement mechanisms of these regulations include penalties or legal sanctions. The IDA can revoke an issued investment certificate if the holder fails to comply with certain stipulations detailed in the IDA Act and its regulations. The regulatory enforcement process is not digitized.																																				International Regulatory Considerations										As a member of the OECS and the ECCU, Dominica subscribes to a set of principles and policies outlined in the Revised Treaty of Basseterre. The relationship between national and regional systems is such that each participating member state is expected to coordinate and adopt, where possible, common national policies aimed at the progressive harmonization of relevant policies and systems across the region. Thus, Dominica is obligated to implement regionally developed regulations such as legislation passed under OECS authority, unless it seeks specific concessions.The Dominica Bureau of Standards develops, maintains, and promotes standards for improving industrial development, industrial efficiency, promoting the health and safety of consumers, protecting the environment, and facilitating trade. It also conducts national training and consultations in international standards practices. As a signatory to the WTO Agreement on the Technical Barriers to Trade, Dominica, through the Dominica Bureau of Standards, is obligated to harmonize all national standards to international norms to avoid creating technical barriers to trade.Dominica ratified the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) in 2016. Ratification of the Agreement is an important signal to investors of the country’s commitment to improving its business environment for trade. The TFA aims to improve the speed and efficiency of border procedures, facilitate trade costs reduction, and enhance participation in the global value chain. Dominica has already implemented a number of TFA requirements. A full list is available at:  https://tfadatabase.org/members/dominica/measure-breakdown .As a member of CARICOM, Dominica utilizes the Advanced Cargo Information System, a computer-based system developed by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) to harmonize and standardize electronic cargo information in order to improve the capability to track cargo efficiently and to support regional and international trade. The Advanced Cargo Information System forms a critical part of the World Customs Organization SAFE Framework of Standards. Dominica has also fully implemented the Automated System for Customs Data.																																				Legal System and Judicial Independence										Dominica bases its legal system on British common law. The Attorney General, the Chief Justice of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, junior judges, and magistrates administer justice in the country. The Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court Act establishes the Supreme Court of Judicature, which consists of the High Court and the Eastern Caribbean Court of Appeal. The High Court hears criminal and civil matters and makes determinations on the interpretation of the constitution. Parties may appeal to the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, an itinerant court that hears appeals from all OECS members.The Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) is the regional judicial tribunal, established in 2001 by the Agreement Establishing the CARICOM Single Market and Economy. The CCJ has original jurisdiction to interpret and apply the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas. In 2015, Dominica acceded to the CCJ, making the CCJ its final court of appeal.The United States and Dominica are both parties to the WTO. The WTO Dispute Settlement Panel and Appellate Body resolve disputes over WTO agreements, while courts of appropriate jurisdiction in both countries resolve private disputes.																																				Laws and Regulations on Foreign Direct Investment										The IDA reviews all proposals for investment concessions and incentives to ensure the project is consistent with the national interest and provides economic benefits to the country. The Cabinet makes the final decision on investment proposals.The main laws concerning investment in Dominica are the Invest Dominica Authority Act (2007), the Tourism Act (2005), and the Fiscal Incentives Act. Regulatory amendments have been made to the Income Tax Act, the Value Added Tax Act, the Title by Registration Act, the Alien Landholding Regulation Act, and the Residential Levy Act. The IDA provides a full list of the relevant legislation and other information on investment is available on the website:  https://www.investdominica.com/ .																																				Citizenship by Investment										Under Dominica’s citizenship by investment program, qualified foreign investors may obtain citizenship without voting rights. Applicants can contribute a minimum of $100,000 (270,225 Eastern Caribbean dollars) to the Economic Diversification Fund for a single person or invest in designated real estate with a value of at least $200,000 (540,510 Eastern Caribbean dollars). Applicants must also provide a medical certificate, undergo a background check, and provide evidence of the source of funds before proceeding to the final stage of an interview. The government introduced a citizen by investment certificate in order to minimize the risk of unlawful duplication. Further information is available at:  http://cbiu.gov.dm .																																				Competition and Antitrust Laws										Chapter 8 of the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas outlines the competition policy applicable to CARICOM States. Member states are required to establish and maintain a national competition authority for implementing the rules of competition. CARICOM established a Caribbean Competition Commission (CCC) to apply rules of competition regarding anti-competitive cross-border business conduct. CARICOM competition policy addresses anti-competitive business conduct such as agreements between enterprises, decisions by associations of enterprises, and concerted practices by enterprises that have as their object or effect the prevention, restriction, or distortion of competition within CARICOM, and actions by which an enterprise abuses its dominant position within CARICOM. Dominica is a member of the CCC.The OECS has agreed to establish a regional authority to regulate competition in the economic union and would be a part of the CCC. To date, the draft OECS Competition Bill remains under review. As such, there is currently no legislation or authority outside of the CARICOM framework that regulates competition in Dominica.																																				Expropriation and Compensation										There are no known pending expropriation cases involving American citizens. In such an event, Dominica would employ a system of eminent domain to pay compensation when property must be acquired in the public interest. There were no reported tendencies of the government to discriminate against U.S. investments, companies, or landholdings. There are no laws mandating local ownership in specified sectors.																																				Dispute Settlement																										ICSID Convention and New York Convention						Dominica is not a party to the Convention on the Settlement of Investment Disputes. However, it is a member of the Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards, also known as the New York Arbitration Convention. The Arbitration Act of 1988 is the main legislation that governs arbitration in Dominica. It adheres to the New York Arbitration Convention.						Investor-State Dispute Settlement						Investors are permitted to use national or international arbitration for contracts entered with the state. Dominica does not have a bilateral investment treaty or a Free Trade Agreement with an investment chapter within the United States.The court system and bureaucracy are widely seen as slow and as hindrances to timely resolution of commercial disputes. Through the Arbitration Act of 1988, the local courts recognize and enforce foreign arbitral awards issued against the government. Dominica does not have a recent history of investment disputes involving a U.S. person or other foreign investors.						International Commercial Arbitration and Foreign Courts						The Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court is the domestic arbitration body. Local courts recognize and enforce foreign arbitral awards. The Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court’s Court of Appeal also provides mediation.																										Bankruptcy Regulations										Under the Bankruptcy Act (1990), Dominica has a bankruptcy framework that grants certain rights to debtor and creditor. A full copy of the act is available for download from the government’s website.																																												4. Industrial Policies						    																																																Investment Incentives										The Government of Dominica implemented a series of investment incentives codified in the Fiscal Incentives Act.  These include tax holidays for up to 20 years for approved hotel and resort development projects, duty-free concessions on the purchase of machinery and equipment, and various tax exemptions.  While there is no requirement for enterprises to purchase a fixed percentage of goods from local sources, the government encourages local sourcing.  There are no requirements for participation by nationals or the government in foreign investment projects.Under the Fiscal Incentives Act, four types of enterprise qualify for tax holidays.  The length of the tax holiday for the first three types of enterprises depends on the amount of value added in Dominica.  The fourth type of enterprise, known as an enclave industry, must produce goods exclusively for export outside of the CARICOM region.Enterprise Value Added Maximum Tax Holiday Group I 50 percent or more 15 years Group II 25 percent to 50 percent 12 years Group III 10 percent to 25 percent 10 years Enclave Enclave 15 years Companies that qualify for tax holidays are allowed to import into Dominica duty-free all equipment, machinery, spare parts, and raw materials used in production.The Hotel Aid Act provides relief from customs duties on items brought into the country for use in construction, extension, and equipping of a hotel of not less than five bedrooms.  In addition, the Income Tax Act provides special tax relief benefits for approved hotels and villa development.  A tax holiday for up to 20 years is available for approved hotel and resort developments and up to 10 years for income accrued from the rental of villas in approved developments.  The Cabinet must approve these developments.The standard corporate income tax rate is 25 percent.  There is no capital gains tax.  International businesses are exempt from tax.  Corporate tax does not apply to exempt companies or to enterprises that have been granted tax concession.Dominica provides companies with a further tax concession effective at the end of the tax holiday period.  In effect, it is a rebate of a portion of the income tax paid based on export profits as a percentage of total profits.  Full exemption from import duties on parts, raw materials, and production machinery is also available.The government offers incentives for investors in the renewable energy sector, including the reduction or exemption of import duties and VAT on related inputs and a reduction in corporate tax.The Government of Dominica does not have a practice of issuing guarantees or jointly financing foreign direct investment projects.																																				Foreign Trade Zones/Free Ports/Trade Facilitation										There are currently no foreign trade zones or free ports in Dominica.																																				Performance and Data Localization Requirements										Dominica does not mandate use of local equipment. The provisions of the Labor Code outline the requirements for acquiring a work permit and prohibit anyone who is not a citizen of Dominica or the OECS to engage in employment unless they have obtained a work permit. When the government grants work permits to senior managers because no qualified nationals are available for the post, the government may recommend a counterparty trainee who is a Dominican citizen. There are no excessively onerous visa, residency, or work permit requirements.As a member of the WTO, Dominica is party to the Agreement to the Trade Related Investment Measures. While there are no formal performance requirements, the government encourages investments that will create jobs and increase exports and foreign exchange earnings. There are no requirements for participation by nationals or by the government in foreign investment projects. There is no requirement that enterprises must purchase a fixed percentage of goods or technology from local sources, but the government encourages local sourcing. Foreign investors receive national treatment. There are no requirements for foreign information technology providers to turn over source code and/or provide access to surveillance. There are no measures or draft measures that prevent or restrict companies from freely transmitting customer or other business-related data outside the country. The country has not adopted any specific data protection legislation.																																												5. Protection of Property Rights						    																																																Real Property										Civil law protects physical property and mortgage claims. There are some special license requirements for the acquisition of land, development of buildings, and expansion of existing construction, and special standards for various aspects of the tourism industry. Individuals or corporate bodies who are not citizens and who are seeking to acquire land require an Alien Landholders License prior to the execution of transactions, depending upon the amount of land in question.Local laws dictate that a foreign national may hold less than one acre of land for residential purposes or less than three acres for commercial purposes without obtaining an alien landholding license. If more land is required then a license must be obtained, and the applicant must pay a fee of $2,220 (6,000 Eastern Caribbean dollars) to the Office of the Accountant-General. Applicants must meet all the submission requirements before Cabinet can consider granting the license. Failure to apply for the license will result in a penalty of $7,400 (20,000 Eastern Caribbean dollars). Upon acquiring land under Section 5 for an approved development, foreign investors must apply for development permission under the Physical Planning Act within six months of acquiring the land and must start construction of the approved development within one year of receipt of development permission. If property legally purchased is unoccupied for over twelve years, property ownership can revert to other owners, such as squatters. This was affirmed by the CCJ in a 2019 ruling.																																				Intellectual Property Rights										The country is not listed in the U.S. Trade Representative’s 2023 Special 301 Report or in its 2022 Review of Notorious Markets for Counterfeiting and Piracy. Dominica has a legislative framework that supports the protection of intellectual property rights (IPR). While the legal structures governing IPR are generally adequate, enforcement could be strengthened. The Attorney General is responsible for the administration of IPR laws. The Companies &amp; Intellectual Properties Office (CIPO) registers patents, trademarks, and service marks.Dominica is signatory to the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property, the Patent Cooperation Treaty, and the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works. It is also a member of the UN World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).Article 66 of the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas (2001) establishing the CSME commits all 15 CARICOM members to implement IPR protection and enforcement. The CARIFORUM-EU EPA contains the most detailed obligations regarding IPR in any trade agreement to which Dominica is party. The EPA recognizes the protection and enforcement of IPR. Article 139 of the EPA requires parties to “ensure an adequate and effective implementation of the international treaties dealing with intellectual property to which they are parties, and of the [WTO] Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS).” As a member of the WTO, Dominica recognizes the WTO TRIPS Agreement.The Comptroller of Customs of Dominica spearheads the enforcement of IPR, which includes the detention, seizure, and forfeiture of goods. The Customs and Excise Department investigates customs offenses and administers fines and penalties.For additional information about national laws and points of contact at local IP offices, please see WIPO’s country profiles at  http://www.wipo.int/directory/en/ .																																												6. Financial Sector						    																																																Capital Markets and Portfolio Investment										Dominica is a member of the ECCU. As such, it is a member of the Eastern Caribbean Securities Exchange (ECSE) and the Regional Government Securities Market. The ECSE is a regional securities market established by the ECCB and licensed under the Securities Act of 2001, a uniform regional body of legislation governing the buying and selling of financial products for the eight member territories. It is regulated by the Eastern Caribbean Regulatory Commission.The ECSE and its subsidiaries, the Eastern Caribbean Central Securities Depository and the Eastern Caribbean Central Securities Registry, facilitate activities on the ECSE. The main activities are the primary issuance and secondary trading of corporate and sovereign securities, the clearance and settlement of issues and trades, maintaining securities holders’ records, and providing custodial, registration, transfer agency, and paying agency services while respecting listed and non-listed securities. As of March 2022, there were 164 securities listed on the ECSE, comprising 135 sovereign debt instruments, 13 equities, and 16 corporate debt securities. Market capitalization stood at $703 million (1.9 billion Eastern Caribbean dollars). Dominica is open to portfolio investment.Dominica has accepted the obligations of Article VIII of the IMF Agreement, Sections 2, 3, and 4 and maintains an exchange system free of restrictions on making payments and transfers for current international transactions. Dominica does not normally grant foreign tax credits except in the case of taxes paid in a British Commonwealth country that grants similar relief for Dominica taxes or where an applicable tax treaty provides a credit. The private sector has access to credit on the local market through loans, purchases of non-equity securities, trade credits, and other accounts receivable that establish a claim for repayment.																																				Money and Banking System										The eight participating governments of the ECCU have passed the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank Agreement Act. The act provides for the establishment of the ECCB, its management and administration, its currency, relations with financial institutions, relations with the participating governments, foreign exchange operations, external reserves, and other related matters. Dominica is a signatory to this agreement and the ECCB controls Dominica’s currency and regulates its domestic banks.The Banking Act (2015) is a harmonized piece of legislation across the ECCU. The ECCB and the Ministers of Finance of member states jointly carry out banking supervision under the act. The Minister of Finance usually acts in consultation with, and on the recommendation of, the ECCB with respect to those areas of responsibility within the minister’s portfolio.Domestic and foreign banks can establish operations in Dominica. The Banking Act requires all commercial banks and other institutions to be licensed in order to conduct any banking business. The ECCB regulates financial institutions. As part of ongoing supervision, licensed financial institutions are required to submit monthly, quarterly, and annual performance reports to the ECCB. In its latest annual report, the ECCB listed the commercial banking sector in Dominica as stable. Assets of commercial banks totaled $781.8 million (2.1 billion Eastern Caribbean dollars) at the end of the last reported year of 2019. The reserve requirement for commercial banks was six percent of deposit liabilities. There are minimal alternative financial services.The Caribbean region has witnessed a withdrawal of correspondent banking services by U.S. and European banks. CARICOM remains committed to engaging with key stakeholders on the issue and appointed a Committee of Ministers of Finance on Correspondent Banking to monitor the issue.Bitt, a wholly U.S. owned company founded in Barbados, developed digital currency DCash in partnership with the ECCB. The first successful DCash retail central bank digital currency (CDBC) consumer-to-merchant transaction took place in Grenada in February 2021 following a multi-year development process. The ECCB and BITT signed a memorandum of understanding in March 2018 and launched their fintech pilot project and regulatory sandbox in four member countries: Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada, St. Kitts and Nevis and Saint Lucia a year later. In March 2021, DCash was officially rolled out. Bitt launched DCash in Dominica in December 2021. After some challenges in early 2022, the DCash online platform remained online and available for transactions during the reporting period.In 2022, Dominica passed the Virtual Asset Business Bill in Parliament. The bill will regulate virtual currencies with the expectation that they will become increasingly prevalent. The bill is intended to facilitate the ease of doing business in a cashless society, and to combat theft, fraud, money laundering, Ponzi schemes, and terrorist financing. All businesses in this sector must register under this Act. This bill was drafted by the ECCB.																																				Foreign Exchange and Remittances																										Foreign Exchange						Dominica is a member of the ECCU and the ECCB. The currency of exchange is the Eastern Caribbean dollar (denoted as XCD). As a member of the OECS, Dominica has a fully liberalized foreign exchange system. The Eastern Caribbean dollar has been pegged to the United States dollar at a rate of XCD 2.70 to $1.00 since 1976. As a result, the Eastern Caribbean dollar does not fluctuate, creating a stable currency environment for trade and investment in Dominica.						Remittance Policies						Local laws dictate that companies registered in Dominica have the right to repatriate all capital, royalties, dividends, and profits free of all taxes or any other charges on foreign exchange transactions. There are no restrictions on the repatriation of dividends for totally foreign-owned firms. However, a mixed foreign-domestic company may repatriate profits to the extent of its foreign participation.As a member of the OECS, there are no exchange controls in Dominica and the invoicing of foreign trade transactions is allowed in any currency. Importers are not required to make prior deposits in local funds and export proceedings do not have to be surrendered to government authorities or to authorized banks. There are no controls on transfers of funds. Dominica is a member of the CFATF.In 2018, the government signed an Intergovernmental Agreement in observance of FATCA, making it mandatory for banks in Dominica to report the banking information of U.S. citizens.																										Sovereign Wealth Funds										Neither the Government of Dominica, nor the ECCB, of which Dominica is a member, maintains a sovereign wealth fund.																																												7. State-Owned Enterprises						    																						State-owned enterprises (SOEs) in Dominica work in partnership with ministries, or under their remit to carry out certain specific ministerial responsibilities. The U.S. Embassy in Bridgetown is aware of 20 SOEs currently operating in areas such as tourism, investment services, broadcasting and media, solid waste management, and agriculture. There is no published list of these SOEs. They are all wholly owned government entities. Each is headed by a board of directors to which senior management reports. The SOE sector is affected by financial sustainability challenges, with resources insufficient to cover capital replacement.																										Privatization Program										Dominica does not currently have a targeted privatization program.																																												8. Responsible Business Conduct						    																						The private sector is involved in projects that benefit society, including support of environmental, social, and cultural causes. The government encourages philanthropy but does not have regulations in place to mandate such activities by private companies.																										Additional Resources										Department of StateCountry Reports on Human Rights Practices;Trafficking in Persons Report;Guidance on Implementing the &#8220;UN Guiding Principles&#8221; for Transactions Linked to Foreign Government End-Users for Products or Services with Surveillance Capabilities;U.S. National Contact Point for the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises; and;Xinjiang Supply Chain Business Advisory Department of the TreasuryOFAC Recent ActionsDepartment of LaborFindings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor Report;List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor;Sweat &amp; Toil: Child Labor, Forced Labor, and Human Trafficking Around the World and;Comply Chain.																																				Climate Issues										Dominica’s climate policy is guided by its Climate Resiliency and Recovery Plan 2020-2030 and its Nationally Determined Contribution for reducing its greenhouse gas emissions. It does not have a specific strategy in place for monitoring natural capital. Following the devastation wrought by 2017’s Hurricane Maria, the government plans for Dominica to become fully climate resilient. Associated activities include a full transition to renewable energy, strengthening community disaster-response resources, and adaptation of homes and infrastructure to better survive severe weather events. Dominica has indicated that quickly achieving these goals will require substantial support from the international donor community. The government offers incentives for investors in the renewable energy sector, including the reduction or exemption of import duties and VAT on related inputs and a reduction in corporate tax. Public procurement policies do not include environmental and green growth considerations.																																												9. Corruption						    																						The law provides criminal penalties for corruption by officials; however, government implementation and enforcement of the law is inconsistent. Members of the political opposition and civil society representatives allege that officials sometimes engaged in corrupt practices with impunity. Local media and opposition leadership continued to raise allegations of corruption within the government, including in the Citizenship by Investment program. Dominica acceded to the United Nations Convention Against Corruption in 2010. The country is party to the Inter-American Convention against Corruption.The Integrity in Public Office Act, 2003 and the Integrity in Public Office (Amendment) Act 2015 require government officials to account annually for their income, assets, and gifts. All offenses under the act, including the late filing of declarations, are criminalized. The Integrity Commission was established to monitor the functions under this Act. The Integrity Commission’s mandate and decisions can be found at  http://www.integritycommission.gov.dm . Generally, the Integrity Commission reports on late submissions and on inappropriately completed forms but does not share financial disclosures of officials with the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions. The Integrity Commission has not updated documents on its website since 2016.The Director of Public Prosecutions is responsible for prosecuting corruption offenses, but it lacks adequate personnel and resources to handle complicated money laundering and public corruption cases.																										Resources to Report Corruption										Contact at the government agency or agencies that are responsible for combating corruption:Steve HyacinthChairman, Integrity CommissionCross Street, Roseau, DominicaTel: 1-767-266-3436Email:  integritycommission@dominica.gov.dm .																																												10. Political and Security Environment						    																						Dominica is considered politically stable and does not have a recent history of political violence. Dominica parliamentary elections are usually peaceful and are regarded as free and fair. The ruling Dominica Labour Party won the 2022 snap elections in a landslide, among calls for electoral reform. The next general elections are constitutionally due in 2027.																																		11. Labor Policies and Practices						    																						There is no publicly available current data on the active labor force in Dominica. The labor legislation in Dominica is applicable to all employees and employers. There are no waivers or exceptions regarding the application of labor laws and standards in Dominica. The law provides for the right of workers to form and join independent unions, bargain collectively, and conduct legal strikes; workers exercised these rights. Workers exercised the right to collective bargaining primarily in the nonagricultural sectors of the economy, including in the civil service. The law prohibits antiunion discrimination.The government and employers generally respected freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining. The government generally enforced applicable laws, and penalties generally were sufficient to deter violations. Administrative and judicial procedures were not subject to lengthy delays or appeals, and there were no such problems during the year. Few disputes escalated to strikes or sickouts. A company, a union representative, or an individual may request mediation by the Ministry of Justice, Immigration, and National Security.The government last raised Dominica’s minimum wage in June 2008. It varies according to the category of worker, with the lowest minimum wage set at approximately $1.50 an hour and the maximum set at approximately $2.06 an hour. The standard workweek is 40 hours for five or six days of work. The law provides overtime pay for work in excess of the standard workweek. Dominica has a labor force of approximately 32,630, with a literacy rate of 95 percent.The local state college largely meets the country’s technical and training needs. There is also a small pool of professionals to draw from in fields such as law, medicine, engineering, business, information technology, and accounting. Many of the professionals in Dominica trained in the United States, Canada, the UK, or the wider Caribbean, where they often also gain work experience before returning to the country.Employers usually advertise job vacancies in local newspapers. The government recommends that the advertisement be placed on three separate occasions to ensure transparency and equal opportunity for Dominican residents to apply. The embassy is not aware of any instances of government interference with the employer’s right to make hiring determinations.The Labor Contract Act stipulates that an employee shall receive a contract from his/her employer within 14 days of engagement outlining the terms and conditions of employment.The labor laws clearly regulate and define layoffs and the conditions under which layoffs can occur. Severance by redundancy is also regulated by law. People employed for three years or more qualify for severance pay. Social security benefits are payable only when the employee reaches retirement age.The Industrial Relations Act provides for and regulates trade unions in both public and private sectors. Dominican law provides for the right of workers to form and join independent unions, the right to strike, and the right of workers to bargain collectively with employers. The government generally enforces laws governing worker rights effectively, and penalties generally were sufficient to deter violations. Administrative and judicial procedures are not generally subject to lengthy delays or appeals. Government mediation and arbitration are free of charge. The law prohibits anti-union discrimination by providing that employers must reinstate workers who file a successful complaint of illegal dismissal, which can cover being fired for engaging in union activities or other grounds of wrongful dismissal. Employers generally reinstated or paid compensation to employees who obtained favorable rulings by the ministry following a complaint of legal dismissal.Collective bargaining is permitted in all firms (both public and private) where the employees are unionized. A copy of the collective bargaining agreement must be filed at the Ministry of Labor. There are no sectoral collective agreements. All unionized firms are obliged by law to negotiate terms and conditions of employment of all workers, whether or not they are members of a trade union. Dominica ratified all of the International Labor Organization (ILO)’s eight core conventions on human rights and labor administration.The government deemed emergency, port, electricity, telecommunications, and prison services employees, as well as banana, coconut, and citrus fruit cultivation workers “essential,” deterring workers in these sectors from going on the strike. The ILO noted the list of essential services is broader than international standards. Small, family-owned farms employed most agricultural workers, and workers on such farms were not unionized. Nonetheless, in practice essential workers conducted strikes and did not suffer reprisals. The procedure for essential workers to strike is cumbersome, involving appropriate notice and submitting the grievance to the labor commissioner for possible mediation. These actions are usually resolved through mediation by the Office of the Labor Commissioner, with the rest referred to the Industrial Relations Tribunal for binding arbitration.The Industrial Relations Act also mandates the establishment of the Industrial Relations Board and the Industrial Relations Tribunals as dispute resolution mechanisms. The Division of Labor acts as the first arbitrator with matters of investigation, mediation, and conciliation. Matters are referred only to the tribunals by the minister when conciliation fails or by request of any of the disputing parties.Enforcement is the responsibility of the Labor Commissioner within the Ministry of Justice, Immigration and National Security. Labor laws provide that the labor commissioner may authorize the employment of a person with disabilities at a wage lower than the minimum rate to enable that person to work. The Employment Safety Act provides occupational health and safety regulations that are consistent with international standards. Workers have the right to remove themselves from unsafe work environments without jeopardizing their employment and the authorities effectively enforced this right in practice.The informal economy plays a significant role in the labor market and economy of Dominica. The IMF has estimated that the informal economy averaged 46 percent of GDP over the 2011-2019 period. Nearly forty percent of informal sector workers were in wholesale and retail trade, with another 24 percent in manufacturing, 9 percent in agriculture, forestry, and fishing, and 29 percent in other industries. Despite the significance of the informal economy in Dominica, there is little evidence of its impact on contracts or access to industries of interest to U.S. and other foreign investors.																																		12. U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC), and Other Investment Insurance or Development Finance Programs						    																						Dominica is classified as an upper-middle income country under the World Bank’s definition. The DFC may consider investments in certain projects in upper-middle-income countries that address key U.S. government priorities.																																		13. Foreign Direct Investment Statistics						    																						Table 2: Key Macroeconomic Data, U.S. FDI in Host Country/EconomyHost Country Statistical source*USG or international statistical sourceUSG or International Source of Data:BEA; IMF; Eurostat; UNCTAD, OtherEconomic DataYearAmountYearAmountHost Country Gross Domestic Product (GDP) ($M USD)2022$6122022$612www.worldbank.org/en/countryForeign Direct InvestmentHost Country Statistical source*USG or international statistical sourceUSG or international Source of data:BEA; IMF; Eurostat; UNCTAD, OtherU.S. FDI in partner country ($M USD, stock positions)N/AN/AN/AN/ABEA data available at https://apps.bea.gov/international/factsheet/Host country’s FDI in the United States ($M USD, stock positions)N/AN/AN/AN/ABEA data available at https://apps.bea.gov/international/factsheet/Total inbound stock of FDI as % host GDPN/AN/A202192.8%UNCTAD data available athttps://unctad.org/topic/investment/world-investment-report* * Source for Host Country Data: Eastern Caribbean Central Bank: https://www.eccb-centralbank.org/statistics/dashboard-datas/Table 3: Sources and Destination of FDIThe Commonwealth of Dominica is not included in the survey. Data not available.																																		14. Contact for More Information						    																						Political/Economic SectionU.S. Embassy to Barbados, the Eastern Caribbean, and the Organization of Eastern Caribbean StatesTel: 246-227-4000Email:  BridgetownPolEcon@state.gov 																										    							View report by:																				Albania											Algeria											Andorra											Angola											Antigua and Barbuda											Argentina											Armenia											Australia											Austria											Azerbaijan											The Bahamas											Bahrain											Bangladesh											Barbados											Belarus											Belgium											Belize											Benin											Bolivia											Bosnia and Herzegovina											Botswana											Brazil											Brunei											Bulgaria											Burkina Faso											Burma											Burundi											Cabo Verde											Cambodia											Cameroon											Canada											Chile											China											Colombia											Costa Rica											Côte d’Ivoire											Croatia											Cyprus											Czechia											Democratic Republic of the Congo											Denmark											Djibouti											Dominica											Dominican Republic											Ecuador											Egypt											El Salvador											Equatorial Guinea											Eritrea											Estonia											Eswatini											Ethiopia											Fiji											Finland											France and Monaco											Gabon											The Gambia											Georgia											Germany											Ghana											Greece											Grenada											Guatemala											Guinea											Guyana											Honduras											Haiti											Hong Kong											Hungary											Iceland											India											Indonesia											Iraq											Ireland											Israel											Italy											Jamaica											Japan											Jordan											Kazakhstan											Kenya											Kosovo											Kyrgyz Republic											Laos											Latvia											Lebanon											Lesotho											Liberia											Libya											Lithuania											Luxembourg											Macau											Madagascar											Malawi											Malaysia											Maldives											Mali											Malta											Marshall Islands											Mauritania											Mauritius											Mexico											Micronesia											Moldova											Mongolia											Montenegro											Morocco											Mozambique											Namibia											Nepal											Netherlands											New Zealand											Nicaragua											Niger											Nigeria											North Macedonia											Norway											Oman											Pakistan											Palau											Panama											Papua New Guinea											Paraguay											Peru											Philippines											Poland											Portugal											Qatar											Republic of the Congo											Romania											Rwanda											Saint Kitts and Nevis											Saint Lucia											Saint Vincent and the Grenadines											Samoa											Sao Tome and Principe											Saudi Arabia											Senegal											Serbia											Seychelles											Sierra Leone											Singapore											Slovakia											Slovenia											Somalia											South Africa											South Korea											South Sudan											Spain											Sri Lanka											Suriname											Sweden											Switzerland											Taiwan											Tajikistan											Tanzania											Thailand											Timor-Leste											Togo											Trinidad and Tobago											Tunisia											Türkiye											United Arab Emirates											Uganda											Ukraine											United Kingdom											Uruguay											Uzbekistan											Vietnam											West Bank and Gaza											Zambia											Zimbabwe															Build A Custom Report																						On This Page				search													>																										EXECUTIVE SUMMARY																1. Openness To, and Restrictions Upon, Foreign Investment																																							Policies Towards Foreign Direct Investment																																																						Limits on Foreign Control and Right to Private Ownership and Establishment																																																						Other Investment Policy Reviews																																																						Business Facilitation																																																						Outward Investment																																																			2. Bilateral Investment and Taxation Treaties																3. Legal Regime																																							Transparency of the Regulatory System																																																						International Regulatory Considerations																																																						Legal System and Judicial Independence																																																						Laws and Regulations on Foreign Direct Investment																																																						Citizenship by Investment																																																						Competition and Antitrust Laws																																																						Expropriation and Compensation																																																						Dispute Settlement																																																				ICSID Convention and New York Convention																																												Investor-State Dispute Settlement																																												International Commercial Arbitration and Foreign Courts																																																																																				Bankruptcy Regulations																																																			4. Industrial Policies																																							Investment Incentives																																																						Foreign Trade Zones/Free Ports/Trade Facilitation																																																						Performance and Data Localization Requirements																																																			5. Protection of Property Rights																																							Real Property																																																						Intellectual Property Rights																																																			6. Financial Sector																																							Capital Markets and Portfolio Investment																																																						Money and Banking System																																																						Foreign Exchange and Remittances																																																				Foreign Exchange																																												Remittance Policies																																																																																				Sovereign Wealth Funds																																																			7. State-Owned Enterprises																																							Privatization Program																																																			8. Responsible Business Conduct																																							Additional Resources																																																						Climate Issues																																																			9. Corruption																																							Resources to Report Corruption																																																			10. Political and Security Environment																11. Labor Policies and Practices																12. U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC), and Other Investment Insurance or Development Finance Programs																13. Foreign Direct Investment Statistics																14. Contact for More Information																						Tags																					Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs																								Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs																								Dominica
- Press briefing with Todd D. Robinson, Assistant Secretary of State for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs Todd D.  Robinson, Assistant SecretaryBureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement AffairsMODERATOR:  Greetings to everyone from the U.S. Department of State’s Media Hub of the Americas in Miami, Florida.  I would like to welcome our participants who have dialed in from the United States and across the region.  This is an on-the-record press briefing with the Assistant Secretary of State for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs Todd D. Robinson. Assistant Secretary Robinson will discuss outcomes from Friday’s virtual ministerial to launch a Global Coalition to Address Synthetic Drug Threats as well as next steps for the global coalition.  This coalition seeks to unite countries worldwide in a concerted effort to prevent the illicit manufacture and trafficking of synthetic drugs, identify emerging drug trends, and respond effectively to their public health impacts. As a reminder, today’s briefing is on the record.  And with that, I will turn it over to Assistant Secretary Robinson. ASSISTANT SECRETARY ROBINSON:  Thank you for joining this call today and for the opportunity to discuss the collective efforts we have undertaken to confront the important issue of synthetic drugs. Last Friday, as you know, Secretary Blinken hosted a virtual ministerial to launch a Global Coalition to Address Synthetic Drug Threats.  Nearly 100 countries and international organizations participated in the launch, underscoring the shared concern about this public health and national security threat.  The coalition aims to unite countries worldwide in a concerted effort to combat the illicit manufacture and trafficking of synthetic drugs.  Together, we hope to strengthen efforts to prevent the production and trafficking of illicit synthetic drugs, identify emerging synthetic drug trends and use patterns, and promote efforts to respond effectively to the public health impacts they impose. Participants at the ministerial underscored the importance of sharing data and increasing efforts to mitigate the health impact of synthetic drug use.  As you all already know, synthetic drugs such as fentanyl and methamphetamine pose a grave risk to the health and security of our citizens here in the United States.  The consequences of these drugs are devastating as evidenced by the alarming statistics. In 2022, the CDC estimated that nearly 110,000 Americans lost their lives to drug overdoses.  Recognizing the gravity of this situation, the Biden administration is fully committed to preventing drug use and minimizing its negative impact.  We understand the importance of connecting individuals to treatment and supporting the more than 20 million Americans in recovery.  President Biden’s National Drug Control Strategy has allocated a substantial $24 billion dollars in this fiscal year to strengthen drug-related public health interventions.  These measures not only safeguard the health of our citizens, but also exemplify our dedication at home as we look to other nations to also take action. It is vital to note that these dangers are not limited to the United States.  More countries than ever are facing an increasing threat from synthetic drugs like tramadol, Captagon, MDMA, and Ketamine.  Criminals are constantly innovating to create new synthetic drugs, adjusting formulas to avoid international controls and domestic regulations, and creating new demand.   One staggering number to note:  Over the past decade, more than 1,100 new synthetic drugs were detected and reported by the United Nations.  Through the Global Coalition to Address Synthetic Drug Threats, we are harnessing international cooperation and shared knowledge to tackle this crisis head on.  By working together, we can more effectively disrupt the illicit synthetic drug supply chains, enhance our ability to identify and respond to emerging threats, and protect the lives and well-being of our own citizens and of people around the world. The United States has already been working with partners like Mexico, Canada, and other countries to drive urgent global action to disrupt the synthetic drug trade from beginning to end.  We are engaging with countries such as India to strengthen our partnerships on securing pharmaceutical and chemical supply chains to prevent criminal diversion of dual-use precursor chemicals, and we remain committed to engaging with the PRC to address the threat illicit synthetic drugs pose to our countries.  The Department of State also works within the UN, the Organization of American States, the G7, G20, and other organizations to improve the abilities of our countries to detect and disrupt the illicit manufacturing, diversion, and trafficking of precursor chemicals and finished drugs.   We have more important work to do, so in closing, let me express my gratitude to our international partners who have already joined us in this crucial endeavor.  The fight against synthetic drugs requires a global response, and we are confident that our collective efforts will yield significant results.  Together, we can create a safer and healthier future for our citizens and generations to come.   Thank you, and I look forward to your questions.   MODERATOR:  Thank you so much, Assistant Secretary.  We will now begin the question-and-answer portion of today’s briefing.  For those on the English line asking questions, please limit yourself to one question related to the topic of today’s briefing.  If you submitted your question in advance, I have incorporated the question into the queue.  Our first question today we received from Daniel – from Jim Carson of La Jornada in Mexico:  “What specific will be new out of this declaration?  Are you setting up a FinCEN-type structure to share information, do evaluations, and a secretariat, or is it simply a reiteration of past commitments without any specific additional actions?”   ASSISTANT SECRETARY ROBINSON:  Great question.  The first thing I would say is we are – we are building on what we have done in the past and what has been done by other countries in the past.  The coalition is intended to be an inclusive forum for sharing best practices and identifying areas for collaboration to improve the global response to public health and security threats posed by synthetic drugs.  We ask that countries commit to working collaboratively with other coalition member countries at both political and technical levels to develop a joint framework for addressing synthetic drugs and develop actions in line with that framework.  Thanks.   MODERATOR:  Thank you.  We received a question from journalist Fernando Morales from Red Salvadoreña de Medios in El Salvador: “El Salvador is a corridor for the transit of synthetic drugs like fentanyl.  How is work being done to prevent the trafficking of these narcotics?”   ASSISTANT SECRETARY ROBINSON:  I’m sorry.  Could you say that again?  MODERATOR:  Absolutely, Assistant Secretary.  “El Salvador is a corridor for the transit of synthetic drugs like fentanyl.  How is work being done to prevent the trafficking of these narcotics?&#8221; ASSISTANT SECRETARY ROBINSON:  Great question.  As our correspondent will note, the United States Government on several different levels is working with members of the civilian security forces in El Salvador and throughout the region – El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras – on things like investigations, going after the trafficking networks.  We have experts on the ground from DEA and the Department of Justice.   We also work on training.  As the correspondent will note, there is an International Law Enforcement Academy hosted by the Government of El Salvador where we can do training for police and prosecutors in the region on different techniques and modernized techniques for going after these networks.  So those are ways that we are – those are ways that we are trying to get after these – shut down these corridors.   MODERATOR:  Thank you, Assistant Secretary.  The next question will go to Jesús Esquivel from Proceso Magazine in Mexico.  Jesús, please unmute yourself.   QUESTION:  Hello.  Can you hear me?   MODERATOR:  Yes.  Please ask your question.  &#8212;    QUESTION:  Okay.  Yes.  Under Secretary, there has always been the accusations that the Mexican cartels are responsible for all the synthetic drugs in the United States, but as you probably know, the domestic cartels in the U.S. are also responsible for the distributions and sale of these drugs.   My question to you is:  What exactly or when exactly the U.S. Government for the first time is going to be exposing the domestic cartels in this problem and in the United States?  And also, if you think the accusations as – members of the U.S. Congress made to Mexico and threats that they probably going to invade Mexico to stop the drug trafficking, it will help in this global coalition in the case of – specifically of Mexico to cooperate with the U.S. Government?   ASSISTANT SECRETARY ROBINSON:  Thank you, Jesús.  Both good questions.  Look, first of all, I would – I would not exactly support the premise of your question.  We have never said that all of the fentanyl or synthetic opioids that are coming to the United States are coming from Mexico.  We know that this is a global – a global effort by cartels from different regions around the world, including criminals in the United States.  I don’t think the FBI or the Department of Justice or our local law enforcement authorities have been shy about exposing the criminal networks in the United States that are trafficking in these drugs.  I think they will continue to publicly expose them when available.  So that’s thing number one. Thing number two, we have – the United States has an excellent relationship with our counterparts in Mexico.  We are both working very close to go after the networks in Mexico, to increase our cooperation on both sides of our southwest border, your northern border.  And we are working together internationally to share our experiences with working together with other countries around the world.  I’m very proud of our relationship with our Mexican counterparts, and we’re going to continue to call on them as they call on us to work together to do more to stop – to stop this global trafficking of synthetic drugs. MODERATOR:  Thank you, Assistant Secretary Robison.  The next question will go to Adyr Corral from El Sol de Mexico.  Adyr, please unmute yourself.  Go ahead.  Adyr, can you hear us?   Okay, unfortunately we’re going to have to move on.  I see we have a submitted question in our Q&amp;A from Brendan O’Boyle from Reuters in Mexico City: “Thank you, Ambassador.  Within the coalition, where is there concern about fentanyl’s short-term spread geographically?  In Mexico, some experts have sounded alarm about fentanyl spreading in drug supply domestically, though data is scarce.  Have coalition partners in Mexico recognized domestic spread?” ASSISTANT SECRETARY ROBINSON:  I’m sorry, can you repeat that question again? MODERATOR:  Sure, sir.  “Thank you, Ambassador.  Within the coalition, where is there concern about fentanyl’s short-term spread geographically?  In Mexico, some experts have sounded the alarm about fentanyl spreading in the drug supply domestically, though data is scarce.  Have coalition partners in Mexico recognized domestic spread?” ASSISTANT SECRETARY ROBINSON:  The short answer is I believe the Government of Mexico has recognized the short-term spread of synthetic opioids.  We are – and – but there’s a very good relationship between our Office of National Drug Control Policy and the secretary for Health in Mexico.  They are working very closely together on campaigns to raise awareness about synthetic opioids and what can be done to avoid falling into – into that addiction.  So we feel like we have a burgeoning story to tell, a better story to tell as we go forward on our cooperation on the messaging against the domestic – in Mexico, the domestic spread of the – and growth of the use of synthetic opioids. MODERATOR:  Thank you, Assistant Secretary.  I’m told we’ve resolved the microphone issues with Adyr Corral, so we’ll go back to Adyr Corral from El Sol de Mexico.  Please unmute yourself. QUESTION:  Hi.  You can hear me? ASSISTANT SECRETARY ROBINSON:  Yes. MODERATOR:  We can hear you. QUESTION:  Ah, thank you very much.  Sorry for the problems.  I would like to ask the assistant secretary for a comment on the initiative to designate the fentanyl as a weapon of mass destruction in Congress.  How about that, Assistant Secretary? ASSISTANT SECRETARY ROBINSON:  Thank you, great question.  We have currently – the Department of Justice, DEA, FBI, Department of State – we feel like we have the authorities necessary to go after the networks that are trafficking in these drugs.  At the moment, we don’t see that classifying fentanyl as a weapon of mass destruction will give us any more authority than we already have to try to stop its trafficking.  So we feel pretty comfortable that we’re in a good place in terms of having the tools necessary to go after the drug and to go after the networks that are trafficking the drugs.  QUESTION:  Thank you very much.  MODERATOR:  Thank you, Assistant Secretary.  The next question was submitted in advance from Juan Silva from W Radio in Colombia:  “How do you assess the current situation in Colombia in terms of the fight against drugs?”  ASSISTANT SECRETARY ROBINSON:  Well, as the correspondent, as Juan will know, we have a very long, very strong, very deep relationship with Colombia and Colombia’s security forces that has developed over a number of years.  We feel like we are – we have developed into great partners.  Colombia has become a net exporter of security globally, and that is in large part due to the very strong relationship that has developed with the United States.   Today we continue in that effort.  There are areas where we are hoping to start working – new areas where we are starting to – we want to begin working with the Petro government, and we are in constant conversation with Petro and his team to figure out how we can best help them bring greater security and safety to communities in Colombia, and by doing so, help shut down the networks that are trafficking drugs north to the United States.  Thanks.  MODERATOR:  Thank you, Assistant Secretary.   Our next question we received from Eduard Ribas from EFE:  “What responsibility does China have on the trafficking of fentanyl precursors?  How can this coalition be successful without Chinese participation?”  ASSISTANT SECRETARY ROBINSON:  Well, I would say the – we know good things happen when China is involved in conversations like this.  You will recall in 2019 the Chinese Government scheduled fentanyl and made it much harder to get out of the country directly and be shipped directly to other countries.  And when they did that, the trafficking of fentanyl itself in the United States from China went to almost zero.  So we think that there’s a lot more that can be done by the PRC in terms of greater monitoring and labeling and information-sharing on the precursor chemicals that are leaving the PRC, and they – we invited them to join the coalition.  We expect at some point that they will take us up on our invitation because they want to be responsible, a responsible country in this effort.  And we all know that they play – that there are companies in China that play an important role in the distribution of the precursor chemicals that go into making these drugs.  Over.  MODERATOR:  Thank you, Assistant Secretary.  We have time for about two more questions.  One was submitted in advance from a journalist in Guyana regarding CARICOM, Denis Chabrol from Demarara Waves Online News:  “How badly are Caribbean Community (CARICOM) nations affected by synthetic drugs?”  ASSISTANT SECRETARY ROBINSON:  Thank you.  Again, this is a – that’s a great question.  I would say although we haven’t seen significant production in the Caribbean, it’s important to note that criminal chemists can easily synthesize fentanyl almost anywhere.  The Global Coalition to Address Synthetic Drug Threats will provide a foundation for developing and implementing effective, practical solutions to prevent the illicit manufacture and trafficking of synthetic drugs.  It will help detect emerging drug threats, and we hope it will help respond to the – to their public health impacts.  Over. MODERATOR:  Thank you.  I see in the chat the journalist had added:  “What do we expect from CARICOM and what assistance the U.S. can provide?” ASSISTANT SECRETARY ROBINSON:  Well, actually, I would turn it around.  The question should be:  What more can CARICOM countries do?  And I think, again, when we talk about things like exchanging information, when we talk about things like making sure that they are getting access, making sure their communities are getting access to the antidotes for overdoses, making sure that they are reporting to the international organizations that are collecting information that everybody else can use – those are the things that that we would hope we could get from countries that are involved in the global coalition.  And the United States and the international community will continue to help with training and equipping those police forces and prosecutors that are working on this issue.  Over. MODERATOR:  Thank you, Assistant Secretary.  We had a question from Martin Villena from Andina News Agency in Peru:  “Concerning the Global Coalition to Address Synthetic Drug Threats, does its launch also mean strengthening even more relations with countries such as Peru and Colombia, which face the issue and the related problems concerning cocaine productions in their territories?” ASSISTANT SECRETARY ROBINSON:  Well, we’re always working to strengthening – strengthening the relationship with our good friends in Peru and Colombia.  But in fact, again, we will – what the establishment of this coalition is looking to do is to have our friends from Peru and Colombia share their experiences with other countries around the world and help other countries who don’t have the expertise that our countries do, help them address the issues in their countries.  We have great relationships with our partners in Peru and Colombia; I don’t expect that will change.  But we will – in the establishment of this coalition, we will be asking them to do more to help on a global level.  Over.   MODERATOR:  Thank you, Assistant Secretary.  We received a question from Carrie Kahn with NPR:  “How do proposals from some Republicans in the United States urging military intervention to stop fentanyl trafficking in Mexico affect your plans to enlist global partners?” ASSISTANT SECRETARY ROBINSON:  Well, I would say we’re going to let Congress – the Senate and the House – develop and debate their own ideas.  We are going to – I am focused on working with our civilian security partners globally, making sure that they have the training, the equipment, the strategies; making sure they have access to the expertise necessary to focus on what is our responsibility, which is providing civilian security to our communities, both in the United States and around and world. MODERATOR:  Thank you, Assistant Secretary.  I believe we’ve gone through all the questions that we had today, so that will conclude today’s briefing.  I wanted to thank you for joining us today, as well as all of the journalists on the line for their questions.  If you have any follow-up questions about today’s briefing, you may contact the Miami Media Hub at MiamiHub@state.gov.  An English recording and transcript will be available for this briefing, as well as transcripts in Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese.  Thank you so much and have a good day. ASSISTANT SECRETARY ROBINSON:  Thanks.  Thanks, everybody. 
- Dominica HomeReportsOffice of International Religious Freedom2022 Report on International Religious Freedom&#8230;Dominica				hide	document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", function(event) {	if(window.jQuery) {		jQuery( document ).ready(function() {			if (jQuery(".bc_middle").hasClass("collapse")) {				jQuery(".bc_ellipse").click(function(){					jQuery(".bc_hide").toggleClass("visible");					jQuery(".bc_middle").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_ellipse").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_content").toggleClass("noflex");					jQuery(".block_breadcrumbs_content").toggleClass("noflex");				});				jQuery(".bc_hide").click(function(){					jQuery(".bc_hide").toggleClass("visible");					jQuery(".bc_middle").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_ellipse").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_content").toggleClass("noflex");					jQuery(".block_breadcrumbs_content").toggleClass("noflex");				});			} else {				jQuery(".bc_ellipse").hide();			}		});	}});																							2022 Report on International Religious Freedom: Dominica																																					Office of International Religious Freedom																																																																																							Download Report																																																																																	 In this section										/																							Executive Summary																																													Executive Summary																															Section I. Religious Demography																																																																																		Section II. Status of Government Respect for Religious Freedom																																																									Legal Framework																																																																											Government Practices																																																																																	Section III. Status of Societal Respect for Religious Freedom																																																																																		Section IV. U.S. Government Policy and Engagement																																																																																																								Executive Summary				The constitution provides for freedom of religion, including freedom of thought, freedom to practice one’s religion, and freedom from taking oaths contrary to one’s beliefs.During the year, members of the government’s COVID-19 task force continued to meet with religious leaders to address vaccine hesitancy. Rastafarians continued to press the government to fully legalize marijuana use for religious purposes. The Dominica Association of Evangelical Churches (DAEC) reported it continued to oppose homosexuality and to support the government’s ban on same-sex marriages. The Dominican Christian Council, with the participation of the Anglican, Roman Catholic, and Methodist Churches, continued its opposition to a constitutional challenge seeking to overturn the country’s law related to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Intersex (LGBTQI+) conduct, which the Minority Rights Dominica (MiRiDom) and the HIV Legal Network filed on behalf of an unnamed claimant. The challenge remained in court at year’s end.Interdenominational organizations continued their efforts to advance respect for religious freedom and diversity. Interdenominational dialogue between Catholic and Protestant communities continued on a regular basis.The U.S. embassy continued its engagement on religious freedom issues. Embassy officials met during the year with the Ministry of Governance, Public Service Reform, Citizen Empowerment, and Social Justice and Ecclesiastical Affairs. Embassy officials met with evangelical Protestant and Catholic leaders to discuss the state of religious freedom and human rights in the country, including their views on same-sex unions.																														Section I.													 Religious Demography												    																																															The U.S. government estimates the total population at 74,600 (midyear 2022).  According to the U.S. government, Catholics represent 61.4 percent of the population, Protestants 28.6 percent, Rastafarians 1.3 percent, Jehovah’s Witnesses 1.2 percent, and those listing “other” 0.3 percent; 6.1 percent report no religious affiliation, and 1.1 percent are unspecified.  According to the most recent national census in 2011, approximately 53 percent of the population are Catholic.  Evangelical Protestants constitute approximately 20 percent of the population.  The largest evangelical Protestant groups are Pentecostals, with 6 percent, Baptists, with 5 percent, and the Christian Union Mission, with 4 percent.  Seventh-day Adventists constitute 7 percent of the population.  Other smaller religious groups include Anglicans, Methodists, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Muslims, Rastafarians, and Baha’is.  According to the census, 9 percent of the population professes no religious affiliation.																																					Section II.													 Status of Government Respect for Religious Freedom												    																																																Legal Framework										The constitution provides for freedom of religion, including freedom of thought, freedom to practice one’s religion, and freedom from taking oaths contrary to one’s beliefs. By law, the government may make reasonable exceptions to constitutionally required provisions in the interests of defense, public safety, public order, public morality, and public health. The law criminalizes same sex relationships; punishments include prison terms of up to 12 years, and courts may also order offenders sent to psychiatric institutions.The constitution prohibits a minister of a religion from being qualified to run in an election.Religious groups seeking nonprofit status must register with the Attorney General’s Office. They must submit a letter signed by five executives of the religious group and provide the official name of the group and an address identifying the place of worship. The registration fee is 25 Eastern Caribbean dollars ($9). The Attorney General’s Registry Office reviews and approves applications. Any organization denied permission to register has the right to apply for judicial review. By law, religious groups also must register buildings used to publish marriage banns (announcements of marriage) or used as places of worship.The constitution grants religious groups the right to establish and maintain private schools and to provide religious instruction. Students of different religions may attend private schools run by religious groups of another affiliation. Public schools may hold nondenominational prayers, and attendance is optional. The law requires the vaccination (non-COVID-19) of all children to attend both public and private schools. The government does not offer a waiver for children without vaccinations. Parents may homeschool their children.Dreadlocks are prohibited in all government-funded schools as well as in prisons; however, the law is not enforced.The country is a party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.																																				Government Practices										During the year, members of the government’s COVID-19 task force continued to meet with religious leaders to address vaccine hesitancy.The DAEC continued to advocate the repeal of a law prohibiting licensed clergy from running for public office.Rastafarians continued to press the government for complete legalization of marijuana use for religious purposes following the decriminalization of possession of less than one ounce of marijuana in 2020; unlimited use and cultivation remained illegal. Representatives of the Rastafarian community, however, again said authorities did not enforce the law against using marijuana when the community used it in its religious rites. In July, Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit announced his support for allowing a domestic medical marijuana industry.The government continued to subsidize teacher salaries at all private schools run by religious organizations, including those affiliated with the Catholic, Methodist, and Seventh-day Adventist Churches.At public schools, teachers, principals, and students continued to lead nondenominational prayers during morning assemblies, but students were not required to participate.The DAEC reported it continued to stand firmly against homosexuality and to support the law banning same sex marriage. In 2020, the Dominica Christian Council, with the participation of Anglican, Methodist, and Catholic Churches, applied for, and received, the High Court’s permission to intervene in opposition to a 2019 constitutional challenge seeking to overturn parts of the law. The MiRiDom and the HIV Legal Network filed the challenge on behalf of an unnamed claimant. On September 28, the High Court began case hearings that continued through year’s end.																																					Section III.													 Status of Societal Respect for Religious Freedom												    																																															Religious groups continued to produce live and recorded televised religious services throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, which lasted through the first half of the year, providing broadcasts on radio, television, and social media.  The DAEC and other religious groups continued to operate counseling hotlines for persons experiencing fear, worry, or emotional stress because of COVID-19.During the year, the Catholic Church-associated Caritas Dominica Youth Emergency Action Committee’s (YEAC) continued to train individuals regardless of their religious background as first responders in cases of natural or human-caused disasters.  YEAC used the opportunity to demonstrate and promote religious tolerance.  Interdenominational organizations continued their efforts to advance respect for religious freedom and diversity through dialogue between the DAEC and the Christian Council.																																					Section IV.													 U.S. Government Policy and Engagement												    																																															Embassy officials met with the Ministry of Governance, Public Service Reform, Citizen Empowerment, and Social Justice and Ecclesiastical Affairs to underscore the need to respect all religious groups and protect religious freedom as a fundamental right.In February, an embassy official met with DAEC President Randy Rodney and Catholic Bishop Gabriel Malzaire to discuss religious freedom in the country, their positions on LGBTQI+ issues, and constitutional provisions prohibiting a minister of religion from running in an election.Embassy officials and staff maintained social media engagement on religious freedom, including extending greetings on religious holidays and calling for respect for religious freedom.																																				    							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Religious Demography																																																	Section II. Status of Government Respect for Religious Freedom																																							Legal Framework																																																						Government Practices																																																			Section III. Status of Societal Respect for Religious Freedom																																																	Section IV. U.S. Government Policy and Engagement																																																							Tags																					Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs																								Dominica																								Office of International Religious Freedom																																Religious Freedom
- Dominica HomeReportsBureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor2022 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices&#8230;Dominica				hide	document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", function(event) {	if(window.jQuery) {		jQuery( document ).ready(function() {			if (jQuery(".bc_middle").hasClass("collapse")) {				jQuery(".bc_ellipse").click(function(){					jQuery(".bc_hide").toggleClass("visible");					jQuery(".bc_middle").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_ellipse").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_content").toggleClass("noflex");					jQuery(".block_breadcrumbs_content").toggleClass("noflex");				});				jQuery(".bc_hide").click(function(){					jQuery(".bc_hide").toggleClass("visible");					jQuery(".bc_middle").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_ellipse").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_content").toggleClass("noflex");					jQuery(".block_breadcrumbs_content").toggleClass("noflex");				});			} else {				jQuery(".bc_ellipse").hide();			}		});	}});																							2022 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: Dominica																																					Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor																																																																																							Download Report																																																							Translations																																																																 In this section										/																							EXECUTIVE SUMMARY																																													EXECUTIVE SUMMARY																															Section 1. Respect for the Integrity of the Person																																																									a. Arbitrary Deprivation of Life and Other Unlawful or Politically Motivated Killings																																																																											b. Disappearance																																																																											c. Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, and Other Related Abuses																																																																			Prison and Detention Center Conditions																																																																																																																		d. Arbitrary Arrest or Detention																																																																			Arrest Procedures and Treatment of Detainees																																																																																																																		e. Denial of Fair Public Trial																																																																			Trial Procedures																																																								Political Prisoners and Detainees																																																								Civil Judicial Procedures and Remedies																																																																																																																		f. Arbitrary or Unlawful Interference with Privacy, Family, Home, or Correspondence																																																																																	Section 2. Respect for Civil Liberties																																																									a. Freedom of Expression, Including for Members of the Press and Other Media																																																																			Internet Freedom																																																																																																																		b. Freedoms of Peaceful Assembly and Association																																																																											c. Freedom of Religion																																																																											d. Freedom of Movement and the Right to Leave the Country																																																																											e. Protection of Refugees																																																																																	Section 3. Freedom to Participate in the Political Process																																																																												Elections and Political Participation																																																																																	Section 4. Corruption and Lack of Transparency in Government																																																																																		Section 5. Governmental Posture Towards International and Nongovernmental Investigation of Alleged Abuses of Human Rights																																																																																		Section 6. Discrimination and Societal Abuses																																																									Women																																																																											Systemic Racial or Ethnic Violence and Discrimination																																																																											Indigenous Peoples																																																																											Children																																																																											Antisemitism																																																																											Trafficking in Persons																																																																											Acts of Violence, Criminalization, and Other Abuses Based on Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity or Expression, or Sex Characteristics																																																																											Persons with Disabilities																																																																											Other Societal Violence or Discrimination																																																																																	Section 7. Worker Rights																																																									a. Freedom of Association and the Right to Collective Bargaining																																																																											b. Prohibition of Forced or Compulsory Labor																																																																											c. Prohibition of Child Labor and Minimum Age for Employment																																																																											d. Discrimination with Respect to Employment and Occupation																																																																											e. Acceptable Conditions of Work																																																																																																							EXECUTIVE SUMMARY				Dominica is a multiparty parliamentary democracy. The prime minister is the head of government. The House of Assembly elects the president, who serves as the head of state. In the 2019 election, Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit’s Dominica Labor Party prevailed over the opposition United Workers Party by a margin of 18 seats to three. Election observers from the Organization of American States, United Nations, and Caribbean Community found the election generally free and fair.The Ministry of National Security and Home Affairs oversees the police, the country’s only security force. The Financial Intelligence Unit reports to the Ministry of National Security and Home Affairs; some of its officers have arrest authority. Civilian authorities maintained effective control over the security forces. There were no reports that members of the security forces committed significant abuses.Significant human rights issues included reports of the criminalization of libel and the criminalization of consensual same-sex sexual conduct between adults, although there were no reported cases of enforcement during the year.The government took steps to prosecute officials who committed human rights abuses or engaged in corruption.																														Section 1.													 Respect for the Integrity of the Person												    																																																a. Arbitrary Deprivation of Life and Other Unlawful or Politically Motivated Killings										There were no reports that the government or its agents committed arbitrary or unlawful killings.																																				b. Disappearance										There were no reports of disappearances by or on behalf of government authorities.																																				c. Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, and Other Related Abuses										The constitution prohibits such practices, and there were no credible reports that government officials employed them.																Prison and Detention Center Conditions						There were no significant reports regarding prison or detention center conditions that raised human rights concerns.Administration:  Authorities investigated credible allegations of mistreatment.Independent Monitoring:  The government permitted visits by independent human rights observers.  A committee composed of the chief welfare officer, justices of the peace, chaplains, youth welfare officers, social workers, and senior retired civil servants visited the prison monthly to investigate complaints and monitor prison and detention center conditions.																										d. Arbitrary Arrest or Detention										The law prohibits arbitrary arrest and detention and provides for the right of any person to challenge the lawfulness of his or her arrest or detention in court.  The government generally observed these requirements.																Arrest Procedures and Treatment of Detainees						Police used warrants issued by a judicial authority to apprehend persons.  The law requires that authorities inform detainees of the reasons for their arrest within 24 hours and bring them to court within 72 hours.  Authorities generally observed these requirements.  If authorities are unable to bring a detainee to court within the requisite period, the person may be released and rearrested later.  There was a functioning bail system.  Criminal detainees had prompt access to counsel and family members.  The state provides a lawyer for indigent defendants only in murder cases.Pretrial Detention:  Lengthy pretrial detention was a problem due to judicial staff shortages.  According to prison management, prisoners remained on remand status for months or even years.  In April a prison official reported that of the 210 inmates at the prison, 113 were on remand, including one inmate who had been on remand for seven years and nine months and 13 others who had been on remand for more than three years.																										e. Denial of Fair Public Trial										The constitution provides for an independent judiciary, and the government generally respected judicial independence and impartiality.Inadequate prosecutorial and police staffing, outdated legislation, and an insufficient number of magistrates resulted in backlogs and other problems in the judicial system.																Trial Procedures						The constitution provides for the right to a fair and public trial, and the judiciary generally enforced this right.						Political Prisoners and Detainees						There were no reports of political prisoners or detainees.						Civil Judicial Procedures and Remedies						There was an independent, impartial judiciary to which one may bring lawsuits seeking civil remedies for human rights abuses.  Individuals and organizations may not appeal adverse domestic decisions to regional human rights courts for a binding decision; however, they may present petitions to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.																										f. Arbitrary or Unlawful Interference with Privacy, Family, Home, or Correspondence										The constitution prohibits such actions, and there were no reports that the government failed to respect these prohibitions.																																					Section 2.													 Respect for Civil Liberties												    																																																a. Freedom of Expression, Including for Members of the Press and Other Media										The constitution provides for freedom of expression, including for members of the press and other media, and the government generally respected this right.  An independent press, an effective judiciary, and a functioning democratic political system combined to promote freedom of expression, including for members of the media.Libel/Slander Laws:  Defamation is a criminal offense punishable by imprisonment or fines.  There were no active defamation suits against local journalists.  Representatives of media outlets associated with the political opposition alleged that public and private threats of lawsuits were made against the outlets and individual reporters, leading to some self-censorship.																Internet Freedom						The government did not restrict or disrupt access to the internet or censor online content, and there were no credible reports that the government monitored private online communications without appropriate legal authority.																										b. Freedoms of Peaceful Assembly and Association										The constitution provides for the freedoms of peaceful assembly and association, and the government generally respected these rights.																																				c. Freedom of Religion										See the Department of State’s International Religious Freedom Report at  https://www.state.gov/religiousfreedomreport/.																																				d. Freedom of Movement and the Right to Leave the Country										The law provides for freedom of internal movement, foreign travel, emigration, and repatriation, and the government generally respected these related rights. Individuals residing outside the Carib-Kalinago community must apply to the Carib Council for special access if they wish to live in the Kalinago Territory.																																				e. Protection of Refugees										No information was available on the government’s cooperation with the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.Access to Asylum: The law provides for granting asylum and refugee status, but the government has not established systems for determining when to grant asylum or protect refugees.																																					Section 3.													 Freedom to Participate in the Political Process												    																																															The constitution provides citizens the ability to choose their government in free and fair periodic elections held by secret ballot and based on universal and equal suffrage.																																				Elections and Political Participation										Recent Elections: In the 2019 general election, Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit’s Dominica Laboure Party prevailed over the opposition United Workers Party by a margin of 18 seats to three. The Caribbean Community, Organization of American States, and UN election observers assessed the election as generally free, fair, and transparent.Participation of Women and Members of Minority Groups: No laws limit participation of women or members of minority groups in the political process, and they did participate.																																					Section 4.													 Corruption and Lack of Transparency in Government												    																																															The law provides criminal penalties for corruption by officials, and the government generally implemented the law effectively.  The opposition and some opposition-aligned local media raised allegations of corruption within the government, including abuse of funds from the Citizenship by Investment program.																																					Section 5.													 Governmental Posture Towards International and Nongovernmental Investigation of Alleged Abuses of Human Rights												    																																															Several domestic and international human rights and advocacy organizations generally operated without government restriction, investigating and publishing their findings on human rights cases.  Government officials were somewhat cooperative and responsive to their views.Government Human Rights Bodies:  According to the constitution, a parliamentary integrity commissioner has responsibility for investigating complaints against the government.  The position of parliamentary commissioner however, had never been filled.																																					Section 6.													 Discrimination and Societal Abuses												    																																																Women										Rape and Domestic Violence: The law criminalizes rape of men and women, including spousal rape, and the government enforced the law. Although the maximum sentence for sexual molestation (rape or incest) is 25 years’ imprisonment, the usual sentence was five to seven years. Whenever possible, female police officers handled rape cases involving female victims. Women were reluctant to report domestic violence to police. The only shelter for survivors of gender-based violence remained closed after suffering damage during Hurricane Maria in 2017.Authorities reported that government personnel regularly conducted public education campaigning via radio programs and informal community discussions in villages. During the year, the Gender Affairs Division provided training to village councils, community nurses, teachers and principals, and disaster management personnel on gender-based violence. The division also partnered with local nongovernmental organizations on public education programs and in advocating for victims of gender-based violence. These organizations were part of the government’s policy and project development committees. Although there was no shelter for gender-based violence survivors, the government paid rent for housing for victims for up to six months. During this period, social workers worked with individual survivors to help them become economically and socially independent. The government also provided food vouchers and hygiene supplies.The Gender Affairs Division managed a WhatsApp number for victims to report instances of abuse. Victims could also be referred to receive counselling by government counsellors or private counsellors. The government paid the cost of counselling for up to six sessions. Some counsellors provided their services free of charge.The government reported there was an increase in gender-based violence cases during the COVID-19 pandemic and that it received increased requests for assistance by victims due to an increase in poverty and a loss of employment, particularly among women. The Gender Affairs Division reported that it provided food and hygiene packages for women, equipment and seeds for women farmers, and worked with the UN World Food Program and UN Development Program to provide cash grants to families. The division also reported renovating two emergency shelters to make them more gender-appropriate and gender-responsive by including additional lighting around the shelters and separate bathrooms. The division trained shelter managers to reduce instances of gender-based violence in public shelters during natural disasters.Civil society representatives also reported that domestic violence increased during the pandemic, with many victims opting to stay in abusive situations due to a lack of economic independence. The law allows abused persons to appear before a magistrate without an attorney and request a protective order. Some persons requested protective orders.Sexual Harassment: The law does not prohibit sexual harassment. Civil society groups reported it was a pervasive problem.Reproductive Rights: There were no reports of coerced abortion or involuntary sterilization on the part of government authorities.Contraception was widely available, including for the purpose of family planning. There were no legal barriers to accessing contraception, but some religious beliefs and cultural barriers limited its usage. The Ministry of Health’s Welfare Division and the National Council of Women provided access to sexual and reproductive health services for survivors of sexual violence. Other government departments, including the Bureau of Gender Affairs, Social Welfare Department, Adult Education Division, and Health Services and Housing Division, also assisted victims of sexual and gender-based violence. Survivors of sexual violence could access services from any public hospital, but emergency contraception for survivors of rape and incest was not routinely available, due to limited health-care infrastructure, particularly supplies.Discrimination: The constitution provides women with the same legal rights as men. The government generally enforced the law effectively, but property deeds continued to be given to heads of households, who were usually men. The law requires equal pay for civil service positions, but not for other positions. Women and men generally received equal salaries for comparable jobs. Women are excluded from working in some industries, including mining, construction, energy, water, and transportation. No laws prohibit gender discrimination or sexual harassment in employment.																																				Systemic Racial or Ethnic Violence and Discrimination										The constitution prohibits discrimination based on sex, race, place of origin, political opinions, color, or creed. There were no reports of governmental or societal violence or discrimination against members of racial, ethnic, or national minorities.																																				Indigenous Peoples										The population of the Kalinago (Carib) indigenous group was approximately 3,000, most of whom lived in the 3,782-acre Kalinago Territory. The government recognizes their special status, and the Kalinagos’ rights are protected in law and practice. The law establishes the Kalinago Territory and assigns management authority over the territory to the local council, which has veto power over new infrastructure projects in the territory. Some societal discrimination against the Kalinago existed, most notably against Kalinago children when they attended schools outside the territory. There was no secondary school inside the territory.																																				Children										Birth Registration: Citizenship is derived by birth within the country’s territory or to a citizen parent. Birth registration was provided on a nondiscriminatory basis. Parents received birth certificates on a timely basis. Failure to register births resulted in denial of access to public services except emergency care.Child Abuse: The law prohibits child abuse, but according to the government and civil society, it remained a pervasive problem. The government maintained a Child Abuse Prevention Unit responsible for protecting children from all forms of abuse. The unit supported victims by providing counseling, psychological assessments, and other services such as financial assistance to abused children and to family members.Advocates reported that the justice system discouraged prosecution of child abuse, discouraged victims from seeking justice, and allowed repeat offenders to continue the cycle of abuse.Child, Early, and Forced Marriage: The legal minimum age for marriage is 18 for both men and women, but marriage is permitted at age 16 with parental consent.Sexual Exploitation of Children: The age of consent for sexual relations is 16. The law prohibits using children for commercial sexual exploitation, including child sex trafficking, and related activity may be prosecuted under laws against prostitution or trafficking. The law protects all persons from “unlawful sexual connection,” rape, procurement for prostitution, and incest. It prohibits sexual intercourse between a minor older than 15 and an adult and increases the penalty to 25 years’ imprisonment for an adult who rapes a child whom the adult employs or controls, or to whom the adult pays wages. The maximum sentence for sexual intercourse with a person younger than age 14 is 25 years in prison.No laws or regulations explicitly prohibit the use of children in pornography or pornographic performances.Civil society representatives reported that sexual exploitation of children was pervasive, with family members often turning a blind eye in instances when the perpetrator was economically contributing to the household.																																				Antisemitism										There is no organized Jewish community in the country, and there were no reports of discrimination or antisemitic acts.																																				Trafficking in Persons										There were no confirmed reports during the year that traffickers exploited domestic or foreign victims in Dominica or that traffickers exploited victims from Dominica abroad.																																				Acts of Violence, Criminalization, and Other Abuses Based on Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity or Expression, or Sex Characteristics										Criminalization: Consensual same-sex sexual conduct for both men and women is illegal under indecency statutes. The law also prohibits anal intercourse between males. The government reported it rarely enforced either statute, with no instances of the law being enforced through the end of November. Indecency statutes carry a maximum penalty of 12 years in prison, and same-sex sexual conduct between consenting men carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, with the possibility of forced psychiatric confinement upon release.Violence against LGBTQI+ Persons: Civil society representatives reported that lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex (LGBTQI+) victims of violence or harassment avoided notifying police of abuse because of social stigma and fear of harassment. Representatives further reported that in some cases where police were notified of attacks against LGBTQI+ persons, police either rejected or poorly investigated the claims.Discrimination: No laws prohibit discrimination against a person based on sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, or sex characteristics in employment, housing, education, or health care. Civil society representatives reported that some LGBTQI+ individuals were denied access to housing, dismissed from employment, bullied in schools, or denied educational and institutional support.The government stated it was not able to continue LGBTQI+ education awareness programs due to an increase in gender-based violence cases during the pandemic that resulted in resources being redirected. Civil society reported that the LGBTQI+ community remained largely in hiding and that being openly LGBTQI+ unless financially independent was “social suicide.” LGBTQI+ persons were subject to abuse and discrimination, with youth being particularly at risk. They reported while the government engaged with the LGBTQI+ community and made efforts to understand their plight, the government’s antidiscrimination programming did not specifically mention the LGBTQI+ community. Civil society representatives reported that while public perception of the community was improving, the laws related to LGBTQI+ conduct were often the nexus for discrimination faced by the community.Availability of Legal Gender Recognition: There is no legislation regarding legal gender recognition.Involuntary or Coercive Medical or Psychological Practices Specifically Targeting LGBTQI+ Individuals: There were no reports of involuntary or coercive medical or psychological practices specifically targeting LGBTQI+ individuals.Restrictions of Freedom of Expression, Association, or Peaceful Assembly: Stigma and fear of abuse and intimidation reportedly prevented LGBTQI+ organizations from developing their membership or conducting activities such as Pride marches.																																				Persons with Disabilities										There is no legal requirement mandating access to buildings for persons with disabilities. Few buildings, including public buildings, provided access for persons with physical disabilities.Representatives of civil society organizations reported that accessibility problems existed in the physical environment of some schools and with educational accommodations for persons with disabilities. Most schools built after hurricane Maria were accessible. Persons with disabilities were able to access only the first floor of some health centers. They reported there were no accessible buses and sometimes persons with wheelchairs were forced to pay an additional fare to accommodate the wheelchair.Children with physical disabilities and those with hearing and vision disabilities were integrated into mainstream schools. Civil society representatives reported a lack of special trained teachers and facilitators at public schools to assist children with disabilities. The government provided stipends to cover educational expenses in private, separate schools for children with intellectual or mental disabilities. In December 2021, the government established a national commission for persons with disabilities to provide guidance on the rights of these persons.The government provided partial financial support for a civil society organization focused on advocating for and improving the lives of persons with disabilities.																																				Other Societal Violence or Discrimination										Reports from civil society indicated individuals with HIV feared job discrimination if their HIV status became public. This fear resulted in some patients not seeking medical treatment.																																					Section 7.													 Worker Rights												    																																																a. Freedom of Association and the Right to Collective Bargaining										The law provides for the right of workers to form and join independent unions, bargain collectively, and conduct legal strikes; workers exercised these rights. Workers exercised the right to collective bargaining primarily in the nonagricultural sectors of the economy, including in the civil service. The law prohibits antiunion discrimination.The government enforced applicable labor laws, and penalties were commensurate with those of other laws involving denial of civil rights such as discrimination. Employers must reinstate workers who file a complaint of illegal dismissal, pending review of the complaint, which can cover termination for engaging in union activities. When essential workers conducted strikes, generally they did not suffer reprisals. Employers generally reinstated or paid compensation to employees who obtained favorable rulings by the ministry following a complaint of illegal dismissal.The law designates emergency, port, electricity, telecommunications, and prison services, as well as the banana, coconut, and citrus fruit cultivation industries, as “essential,” limiting the right to strike in those industries. The International Labor Organization noted the list of essential services is broader than international standards. The procedure for essential workers to strike is cumbersome, involving appropriate notice and submission of the grievance to the labor commissioner for possible mediation. Strikes in essential services may be subject to compulsory arbitration.The government and employers generally respected freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining. The government generally enforced applicable laws, and penalties generally were sufficient to deter violations. Administrative and judicial procedures were not subject to lengthy delays or appeals, and there were no such problems during the year. Few disputes escalated to strikes or sickouts. A company, a union representative, or an individual may request mediation by the Ministry of Justice, Immigration, and National Security.Authorities reported that during the year, three cases were referred to the Industrial Relations Tribunal and 19 investigations were underway. As of June, there were 112 cases pending.Small, family-owned farms employed most agricultural workers, and workers on such farms were not unionized.																																				b. Prohibition of Forced or Compulsory Labor										The constitution prohibits most forms of forced or compulsory labor, but the law does not prescribe penalties for forced labor. The law also does not criminalize forced labor except when it results from human trafficking. The government effectively enforced the law.																																				c. Prohibition of Child Labor and Minimum Age for Employment										See the Department of Labor’s Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor at  https://www.dol.gov/agencies/ilab/resources/reports/child-labor/findings .																																				d. Discrimination with Respect to Employment and Occupation										The constitution specifically prohibits discrimination based on race, gender, place of origin, skin color, creed, or political opinion. The government generally enforced this provision. There are legal restrictions on employment of women in working at night and in certain industries such as mining, construction, factories, energy, water, and transportation. There were no government programs to prevent discrimination in the workplace and no penalties to deter violations.Discrimination in employment and occupation occurred against women and persons with disabilities (see section 6). Discrimination occurred based on sexual orientation. The law permits employers to pay lower wages to persons with disabilities.Authorities reported that the most common reports of discrimination concerned Seven-Day Adventists who complained of being asked to work on Saturday by their employers.																																				e. Acceptable Conditions of Work										Wage and Hour Laws: The law establishes no universal minimum wage but instead sets base wages depending on the category of worker. No reliable recent data indicated whether average minimum wages were above or below the poverty level.In September, following a multiyear review of the minimum wage across all wage categories, the government significantly increased the minimum wage for retail and service employees, agricultural workers, home assistants, commercial drivers, construction and tourism workers, and trainees. The government also created new categories with corresponding wage rates, including for workers in the hospitality and construction industries.The law provides for overtime pay for work above the standard workweek of 40 hours. The law does not specifically prohibit forced or compulsory overtime. The law mandates that overtime wages be paid at a minimum of 1.5 times an employee’s standard wage and that the employee must give prior agreement to work overtime. There were no prosecutions reported for violations of overtime regulations.Occupational Safety and Health: The law stipulates that occupational safety and health (OSH) standards be consistent with international standards. Workers have the right to remove themselves from unsafe work environments without jeopardizing their employment, and authorities recommend that they report the matter to the Labor Division first. The division has the responsibility to approach the employer regarding the matter. Authorities reported that employees were not encouraged to act on their own.Quarry workers faced hazardous conditions. Some reports claimed that workers entered mines before adequate time elapsed after blasting, which exposed them to hazardous chemicals.There were two reports of major industrial accidents during the year. In one case, a man fell from a scaffolding and was seriously and permanently injured.Wage, Hour, and OSH Enforcement: Enforcement is the responsibility of the labor commissioner within the Ministry of Justice, Immigration, and National Security. This enforcement includes the informal sector, where workers were not commonly unionized. Inspectors have the authority to make unannounced inspections, and the government conducted 34 inspections during the year. The penalties for violations were insufficient to enforce compliance.The government reported that it held educational sessions, employer consultations, telephone consultations after inspections, and public education campaigns to encourage compliance with OSH and wage regulations.Informal Sector: The informal sector was a significant part of the economy, but credible data on the informal workforce were unavailable. Persons may register as self-employed to access social security benefits and pension. No social protection was provided to persons in the informal sector beyond social security benefits for maternity leave, sickness, disability, or death. Domestic workers are not covered by labor law and do not receive social protections. The minimum wage applies to workers in the informal sector as well.																																				    							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Respect for the Integrity of the Person																																							a. Arbitrary Deprivation of Life and Other Unlawful or Politically Motivated Killings																																																						b. Disappearance																																																						c. Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, and Other Related Abuses																																																				Prison and Detention Center Conditions																																																																																				d. Arbitrary Arrest or Detention																																																				Arrest Procedures and Treatment of Detainees																																																																																				e. Denial of Fair Public Trial																																																				Trial Procedures																																												Political Prisoners and Detainees																																												Civil Judicial Procedures and Remedies																																																																																				f. Arbitrary or Unlawful Interference with Privacy, Family, Home, or Correspondence																																																			Section 2. Respect for Civil Liberties																																							a. Freedom of Expression, Including for Members of the Press and Other Media																																																				Internet Freedom																																																																																				b. Freedoms of Peaceful Assembly and Association																																																						c. Freedom of Religion																																																						d. Freedom of Movement and the Right to Leave the Country																																																						e. Protection of Refugees																																																			Section 3. Freedom to Participate in the Political Process																																																				Elections and Political Participation																																																			Section 4. Corruption and Lack of Transparency in Government																																																	Section 5. Governmental Posture Towards International and Nongovernmental Investigation of Alleged Abuses of Human Rights																																																	Section 6. Discrimination and Societal Abuses																																							Women																																																						Systemic Racial or Ethnic Violence and Discrimination																																																						Indigenous Peoples																																																						Children																																																						Antisemitism																																																						Trafficking in Persons																																																						Acts of Violence, Criminalization, and Other Abuses Based on Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity or Expression, or Sex Characteristics																																																						Persons with Disabilities																																																						Other Societal Violence or Discrimination																																																			Section 7. Worker Rights																																							a. Freedom of Association and the Right to Collective Bargaining																																																						b. Prohibition of Forced or Compulsory Labor																																																						c. Prohibition of Child Labor and Minimum Age for Employment																																																						d. Discrimination with Respect to Employment and Occupation																																																						e. Acceptable Conditions of Work																																																									Tags																					Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor																								Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs																								Dominica
- INCLE-CBSI Activities – Summative Evaluation (Summary) 
- Dominica (94-710) – Memorandum of Understanding for the Establishment of Facilities to Provide Temporary Protection Under the Auspices of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees for Nationals of Haiti Fleeing Their Country, with related letter. Office of Treaty AffairsMigration and RefugeesSigned at Dominica July 10, 1994; entered into force July 10, 1994.With Related Letter.&nbsp;
- Dominica (98-1130) – Defense Assistance Agreement Office of Treaty AffairsDefense:  AssistanceAgreement effected by Exchange of Notes at Bridgetown and Roseau November 13 and 30, 1998; Entered into force November 30, 1998.
- Dominica HomeReportsBureau of Economic and Business Affairs2022 Investment Climate Statements&#8230;Dominica				hide	document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", function(event) {	if(window.jQuery) {		jQuery( document ).ready(function() {			if (jQuery(".bc_middle").hasClass("collapse")) {				jQuery(".bc_ellipse").click(function(){					jQuery(".bc_hide").toggleClass("visible");					jQuery(".bc_middle").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_ellipse").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_content").toggleClass("noflex");					jQuery(".block_breadcrumbs_content").toggleClass("noflex");				});				jQuery(".bc_hide").click(function(){					jQuery(".bc_hide").toggleClass("visible");					jQuery(".bc_middle").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_ellipse").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_content").toggleClass("noflex");					jQuery(".block_breadcrumbs_content").toggleClass("noflex");				});			} else {				jQuery(".bc_ellipse").hide();			}		});	}});																							2022 Investment Climate Statements: Dominica																																																																																												 In this section										/																							Executive Summary																																													Executive Summary																															1. Openness To, and Restrictions Upon, Foreign Investment																																																									Policies Towards Foreign Direct Investment																																																																											Limits on Foreign Control and Right to Private Ownership and Establishment																																																																											Other Investment Policy Reviews																																																																											Business Facilitation																																																																											Outward Investment																																																																																	2. Bilateral Investment Agreements and Taxation Treaties																																																																																		3. Legal Regime																																																									Transparency of the Regulatory System																																																																											International Regulatory Considerations																																																																											Legal System and Judicial Independence																																																																											Laws and Regulations on Foreign Direct Investment																																																																											Competition and Anti-Trust Laws																																																																											Expropriation and Compensation																																																																											Dispute Settlement																																																																			ICSID Convention and New York Convention																																																								Investor-State Dispute Settlement																																																								International Commercial Arbitration and Foreign Courts																																																																																																																		Bankruptcy Regulations																																																																																	4. Industrial Policies																																																									Investment Incentives																																																																											Foreign Trade Zones/Free Ports/Trade Facilitation																																																																											Performance and Data Localization Requirements																																																																																	5. Protection of Property Rights																																																									Real Property																																																																											Intellectual Property Rights																																																																																	6. Financial Sector																																																									Capital Markets and Portfolio Investment																																																																											Money and Banking System																																																																											Foreign Exchange and Remittances																																																																			Foreign Exchange																																																								Remittance Policies																																																																																																																		Sovereign Wealth Funds																																																																																	7. State-Owned Enterprises																																																																												Privatization Program																																																																																	8. Responsible Business Conduct																																																																												Additional Resources																																																																											Climate Issues																																																																																	9. Corruption																																																																												Resources to Report Corruption																																																																																	10. Political and Security Environment																																																																																		11. Labor Policies and Practices																																																																																		12. U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) and Other Investment Insurance Programs																																																																																		13. Foreign Direct Investment and Foreign Portfolio Investment Statistics																																																																																		14. Contact for More Information																																																																																																								Executive Summary				The Commonwealth of Dominica (Dominica) is a member of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) and the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union (ECCU).  The Government of Dominica strongly encourages foreign direct investment, particularly in industries that create jobs, earn foreign currency, and have a positive impact on its citizens.  Dominica remains vulnerable to external shocks such as climate change impacts, natural hazards, and global economic downturns.  According to Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB) figures, the economy of Dominica had an estimated GDP of $409.9 million USD (1,107.78 billion Eastern Caribbean dollars) in 2021, which signified a slight recovery from a 15.4 percent contraction in 2020 due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting stagnation of the tourism sector.  The IMF forecasts real GDP growth of 7.9 percent in 2022 and expects GDP to reach pre-pandemic levels by 2023.The economy also continues to recover from the devastation caused by Hurricane Maria in 2017.  Losses from Hurricane Maria were estimated at $1.37 billion or 226 percent of GDP.  Prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the government was primarily focused on reconstruction efforts, with support from the international community.  During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Government of Dominica has received financial support from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank to provide fiscal assistance and macro-economic stability and support in health-related expenditures, loss of household income, food security, and the agricultural sector.Through its economic policies, the government is seeking to stimulate sustainable and climate-resilient economic growth by implementing a revised macroeconomic framework that includes strengthening the nation’s fiscal framework.  The government states it is committed to creating a vibrant business climate to attract more foreign investment.Dominica remains a small emerging market in the Eastern Caribbean, with investment opportunities mainly in the service sector, particularly in eco-tourism, information and communication technologies, and education.  Other opportunities exist in alternative energy, including geothermal energy, and capital works due to reconstruction and new tourism projects.The government provides some investment incentives for businesses that are considering establishing operations in Dominica, encouraging both domestic and foreign private investment.  Foreign investors can repatriate all profits and dividends and can import capital. Dominica’s legal system is based on British common law.  It does not have a bilateral investment treaty with the United States, though it does have bilateral investment treaties with the UK and Germany.In 2018, the Government of Dominica signed an Intergovernmental Agreement to implement the U.S. Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA), making it mandatory for banks in Dominica to report the banking information of U.S. citizens.MeasureYearIndex/RankWebsite AddressTI Corruption Perceptions Index202145 of 180 http://www.transparency.org/research/cpi/overview Global Innovation IndexN/AN/A https://www.globalinnovationindex.org/analysis-indicator U.S. FDI in partner country ($M USD, historical stock positions)N/AN/A https://apps.bea.gov/international/factsheet/ World Bank GNI per capita20207,270 https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NY.GNP.PCAP.CD 																																					1. Openness To, and Restrictions Upon, Foreign Investment						    																																																Policies Towards Foreign Direct Investment										The Government of Dominica strongly encourages foreign direct investment (FDI), particularly in industries that create jobs, earn foreign currency, and have a positive impact on local citizens.Through the Invest Dominica Authority (IDA), the government instituted several investment incentives for businesses considering locating in Dominica.  Government policies provide liberal tax holidays, duty-free import of equipment and materials, exemption from value added tax on some capital investments, and withholding tax exemptions on dividends, interest payments, and some external payments and income.  The IDA additionally provides support to approved citizenship by investment projects.The IDA launched a new Investment Promotion Strategy in 2021.  The new strategy is focused on four sectors: agriculture and agri-business, renewable energy, tourism, and knowledge services such as business processing operations.  Other sectors include film, music, and video production, manufacturing, bulk water export and bottled water operations, medical and nursing schools, and English language training services.  The government continuously reviews these sectors. While these sectors are priorities, the government broadly welcomes FDI.																																				Limits on Foreign Control and Right to Private Ownership and Establishment										Local laws do not place limits on foreign control in Dominica.  Foreign investment in Dominica is not subject to restrictions, and foreign investors are entitled to receive the same treatment as nationals of Dominica. Foreign investors are entitled to hold up to 100 percent of their investment.  However, there is a requirement for foreign investors seeking to purchase property for residential or commercial purposes to obtain an Alien Landholders License. Local enterprises generally welcome joint ventures with foreign investors in order to access technology, expertise, markets, and capital.																																				Other Investment Policy Reviews										The OECS, of which Dominica is a member, has not conducted a World Trade Organization (WTO) trade policy review since 2014. There have also not been any investment policy reviews by civil society organizations in the past five years.																																				Business Facilitation										The IDA is Dominica’s main business facilitation unit.  It facilitates foreign direct investment into priority sectors and advises the government on the formation and implementation of policies and programs to attract investment in Dominica.  The IDA provides business support services and market intelligence to all investors.  It offers an online tool useful for navigating laws, rules, procedures, and registration requirements for foreign investors.  Its website is  http://investdominica.com .All potential investors applying for government incentives must submit their proposals for review by the IDA to ensure the project is consistent with the national interest and provides economic benefits to the country.The Companies and Intellectual Property Office (CIPO) maintains an e-filing portal for most of its services, including company registration on its website.  However, this only allows for the preliminary processing of applications prior to the investor physically making a payment at the Supreme Court office.  Investors are advised to seek the advice of a local attorney prior to starting the process.  Further information is available at  http://www.cipo.gov.dm .Businesses must register with CIPO, the Tax Authority, and the Social Services Institute. The general practice for registration is to retain an attorney who prepares all the relevant incorporation documents.																																				Outward Investment										Local laws do not place any restrictions on domestic investors seeking to do business abroad. Local companies in Dominica are actively encouraged to take advantage of export opportunities specifically related to the country’s membership in the OECS Economic Union and the Caribbean Community Single Market and Economy (CSME), which enhance the competitiveness of the local and regional private sectors across traditional and emerging high-potential markets.																																												2. Bilateral Investment Agreements and Taxation Treaties						    																																															Dominica has not signed a bilateral investment treaty with the United States.  It benefits from the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act (CBERA), which was implemented in January 1984. CBERA is intended to facilitate the development of stable Caribbean Basin economies by providing beneficiary countries with duty-free access to the U.S. market for most goods. Dominica has bilateral investment treaties with the UK and Germany.  Dominica has bilateral tax treaties with the United States and the UK.Dominica is a member of the OECD Inclusive Framework on Base Erosion and Profit Sharing and is party to the Inclusive Framework’s October 2021 deal on the two-pillar solution to global tax challenges, including a global minimum corporate tax.Dominica is also party to the following agreements:Caribbean Community (CARICOM)The Treaty of Chaguaramas established CARICOM in 1973 to promote economic integration among its 15 member states.  Investors operating in Dominica have preferential access to the entire CARICOM market.  The Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas established the CSME, which permits the free movement of goods, capital, and labor within CARICOM member states.Organization of Eastern Caribbean StatesThe Revised Treaty of Basseterre established the OECS.  The OECS consists of seven full members: Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and four associate members: Anguilla, Martinique, Guadeloupe, and the British Virgin Islands.  The OECS aims to promote harmonization among member states concerning foreign policy, defense and security, and economic affairs.  The six independent countries of the OECS ratified the Revised Treaty of Basseterre, establishing the OECS Economic Union in 2011.  The Economic Union established a single financial and economic space within which all factors of production, including goods, services, and people, move without hindrance.CARIFORUM- EU Economic Partnership AgreementThe European Community and the Caribbean Forum (CARIFORUM) states signed an Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) in 2008.  CARIFORUM consists of the independent Anglophone CARCOM member states, the Dominican Republic and Suriname. The overarching objectives of the EPA are to alleviate poverty in CARIFORUM states, to promote regional integration and economic cooperation, and to foster the gradual integration of the CARIFORUM states into the world economy by improving their trade capacity and creating an investment-conducive environment.  The EPA promotes trade-related developments in areas such as competition, intellectual property, public procurement, the environment, and protection of personal data.CARIFORUM-UK Economic Partnership AgreementThe UK and CARIFORUM signed an EPA in 2019, committing to trade continuity after Britain’s departure from the European Union.  The CARIFORUM-UK EPA eliminates tariffs on all goods imported from CARIFORUM states into the UK, while those Caribbean states will continue to gradually cut import tariffs on most of the region’s imports from the UK.Caribbean Basin InitiativeThe objective of the Caribbean Basin Initiative is to promote economic development through private sector initiatives in Central America and the Caribbean by expanding foreign and domestic investment in non-traditional sectors, diversifying economies, and expanding exports.  It permits duty-free entry of products manufactured or assembled in Dominica into the United States.Caribbean/Canada Trade AgreementThe Caribbean/Canada Trade Agreement (CARIBCAN) is an economic and trade development assistance program for Commonwealth Caribbean countries.  Through CARIBCAN, Canada provides duty-free access to its national market for the majority of its products originating in Commonwealth Caribbean countries.																																												3. Legal Regime						    																																																Transparency of the Regulatory System										The Government of Dominica provides a legal framework to foster competition and establish clear rules for foreign and domestic investors in the areas of tax, labor, environment, health, and safety.  The Ministry of Finance and the IDA provide oversight of the transparency of the system as it relates to investment.Rule-making and regulatory authority lies within the unicameral parliament.  The parliament has 21 members elected for a five-year term in single-seat constituencies, nine appointed members, one speaker, and one clerk.Relevant ministries develop laws which are drafted by the Ministry of National Security and Home Affairs.  FDI is governed principally through the laws that oversee the IDA and the Citizenship by Investment program.  Laws are available online at  http://www.dominica.gov.dm/laws-of-dominica .Although some draft bills are not subject to public consultation, the government generally solicits input from various stakeholder groups in the formulation of laws.  In some instances, the government convenes a special committee to make recommendations on provisions outlined in the law.  The government uses public awareness campaigns to sensitize the general population on legislative reforms. Copies of proposed regulations are published in the official gazette shortly before the bills are taken to parliament.  Although Dominica does not have legislation guaranteeing access to information or freedom of expression, access to information is generally available in practice.  The government maintains a website and an information service on which it posts information such as directories of officials and a summary of laws and press releases.The International Financial Accounting Standards, which stem from the General Accepted Accounting Principles, govern the accounting profession in Dominica. Accounting, legal, and regulatory procedures are generally transparent and consistent with international norms.The Office of the Parliamentary Commissioner or Ombudsman guards against excesses by government officers in the performance of their duties.  The Ombudsman is responsible for investigating complaints related to any decision or act of any government officer or body in any case in which a member of the public claims to be aggrieved or appears to the Ombudsman to be the victim of injustice as a result of the exercise of the administrative function of that officer or body. The government does not promote nor require companies’ environmental, social, and governance disclosures.Dominica’s membership in regional organizations, particularly the OECS and its Economic Union, commits it to implement all appropriate measures to ensure the fulfillment of its various treaty obligations.  For example, the Banking Act, which establishes a single banking space and the harmonization of banking regulations in the Economic Union, is uniformly in force in the eight member territories of the ECCU, although there are some minor differences in implementation from country to country.The enforcement mechanisms of these regulations include penalties or legal sanctions.  The IDA can revoke an issued investment certificate if the holder fails to comply with certain stipulations detailed in the IDA Act and its regulations. The regulatory enforcement process is not digitized.																																				International Regulatory Considerations										As a member of the OECS and the ECCU, Dominica subscribes to a set of principles and policies outlined in the Revised Treaty of Basseterre.  The relationship between national and regional systems is such that each participating member state is expected to coordinate and adopt, where possible, common national policies aimed at the progressive harmonization of relevant policies and systems across the region. Thus, Dominica is obligated to implement regionally developed regulations such as legislation passed under OECS authority, unless specific concessions are sought.The Dominica Bureau of Standards develops, maintains, and promotes standards for improving industrial development, industrial efficiency, promoting the health and safety of consumers, protecting the environment, and facilitating trade.  It also conducts national training and consultations in international standards practices.  As a signatory to the WTO Agreement on the Technical Barriers to Trade, Dominica, through the Dominica Bureau of Standards, is obligated to harmonize all national standards to international norms to avoid creating technical barriers to trade.Dominica ratified the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) in 2016.  Ratification of the Agreement is an important signal to investors of the country’s commitment to improving its business environment for trade.  The TFA aims to improve the speed and efficiency of border procedures, facilitate trade costs reduction, and enhance participation in the global value chain.  Dominica has already implemented a number of TFA requirements.  A full list is available at  https://tfadatabase.org/members/dominica/measure-breakdown .As a member of CARICOM, Dominica utilizes the Advanced Cargo Information System, a computer-based system developed by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) to harmonize and standardize electronic cargo information in order to improve the capability to track cargo efficiently and to support regional and international trade. The Advance Cargo Information System forms a critical part of the World Customs Organization SAFE Framework of Standards. Dominica has also fully implemented the Automated System for Customs Data.																																				Legal System and Judicial Independence										Dominica bases its legal system on British common law.  The Attorney General, the Chief Justice of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, junior judges, and magistrates administer justice in the country.  The Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court Act establishes the Supreme Court of Judicature, which consists of the High Court and the Eastern Caribbean Court of Appeal.  The High Court hears criminal and civil matters and makes determinations on the interpretation of the constitution.  Parties may appeal to the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, an itinerant court that hears appeals from all OECS members.The Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) is the regional judicial tribunal.  The CCJ has original jurisdiction to interpret and apply the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas.  In 2015, Dominica acceded to the CCJ, making the CCJ its final court of appeal.The United States and Dominica are both parties to the WTO.  The WTO Dispute Settlement Panel and Appellate Body resolve disputes over WTO agreements, while courts of appropriate jurisdiction in both countries resolve private disputes.																																				Laws and Regulations on Foreign Direct Investment										The main laws concerning investment in Dominica are the Invest Dominica Authority Act (2007), the Tourism Act (2005), and the Fiscal Incentives Act.  Regulatory amendments have been made to the Income Tax Act, the Value Added Tax Act, the Title by Registration Act, the Alien Landholding Regulation Act, and the Residential Levy Act. The IDA provides a full list of the relevant legislation on their website.The IDA reviews all proposals for investment concessions and incentives to ensure the project is consistent with the national interest and provides economic benefits to the country.  The Cabinet makes the final decision on investment proposals.Under Dominica’s citizenship by investment program, qualified foreign investors may obtain citizenship without voting rights.  Applicants can contribute a minimum of $100,000 to the Economic Diversification Fund for a single person or invest in designated real estate with a value of at least $200,000.  Applicants must also provide a full medical certificate, undergo a background check, and provide evidence of the source of funds before proceeding to the final stage of an interview.  The government introduced a citizen by investment certificate in order to minimize the risk of unlawful duplication.  Further information is available at  http://cbiu.gov.dm .																																				Competition and Anti-Trust Laws										Chapter 8 of the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas outlines the competition policy applicable to CARICOM States.  Member states are required to establish and maintain a national competition authority for implementing the rules of competition.  CARICOM established a Caribbean Competition Commission to apply rules of competition regarding anti-competitive cross-border business conduct.  CARICOM competition policy addresses anti-competitive business conduct such as agreements between enterprises, decisions by associations of enterprises, and concerted practices by enterprises that have as their object or effect the prevention, restriction, or distortion of competition within CARICOM, and actions by which an enterprise abuses its dominant position within CARICOM.  Dominica does not have domestic legislation to regulate competition.																																				Expropriation and Compensation										There are no known pending expropriation cases involving American citizens.  In such an event, Dominica would employ a system of eminent domain to pay compensation when property must be acquired in the public interest.  There were no reported tendencies of the government to discriminate against U.S. investments, companies, or landholdings.  There are no laws mandating local ownership in specified sectors.																																				Dispute Settlement																										ICSID Convention and New York Convention						Dominica is not a party to the Convention on the Settlement of Investment Disputes.  However, it is a member of the Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards, also known as the New York Arbitration Convention.  The Arbitration Act of 1988 is the main legislation that governs arbitration in Dominica.  It adheres to the New York Arbitration Convention.						Investor-State Dispute Settlement						Investors are permitted to use national or international arbitration for contracts entered with the state. Dominica does not have a bilateral investment treaty or a Free Trade Agreement with an investment chapter within the United States.The court system and bureaucracy are widely seen as slow and as hindrances to timely resolution of commercial disputes. Through the Arbitration Act of 1988, the local courts recognize and enforce foreign arbitral awards issued against the government.  Dominica does not have a recent history of investment disputes involving a U.S. person or other foreign investors.						International Commercial Arbitration and Foreign Courts						The Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court is the domestic arbitration body.  Local courts recognize and enforce foreign arbitral awards.  The Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court’s Court of Appeal also provides mediation.																										Bankruptcy Regulations										Under the Bankruptcy Act (1990), Dominica has a bankruptcy framework that grants certain rights to debtor and creditor. A full copy of the act is available for download from the government’s  website .																																												4. Industrial Policies						    																																																Investment Incentives										The Government of Dominica implemented a series of investment incentives codified in the Fiscal Incentives Act.  These include tax holidays for up to 20 years for approved hotel and resort development projects, duty-free concessions on the purchase of machinery and equipment, and various tax exemptions.  While there is no requirement for enterprises to purchase a fixed percentage of goods from local sources, the government encourages local sourcing.  There are no requirements for participation by nationals or the government in foreign investment projects.Under the Fiscal Incentives Act, four types of enterprise qualify for tax holidays.  The length of the tax holiday for the first three types of enterprises depends on the amount of value added in Dominica.  The fourth type of enterprise, known as an enclave industry, must produce goods exclusively for export outside of the CARICOM region.EnterpriseValue AddedMaximum Tax HolidayGroup I50 percent or more15 yearsGroup II25 percent to 50 percent12 yearsGroup III10 percent to 25 percent10 yearsEnclaveEnclave15 yearsCompanies that qualify for tax holidays are allowed to import into Dominica duty-free all equipment, machinery, spare parts, and raw materials used in production.The Hotel Aid Act provides relief from customs duties on items brought into the country for use in construction, extension, and equipping of a hotel of not less than five bedrooms.  In addition, the Income Tax Act provides special tax relief benefits for approved hotels and villa development.  A tax holiday for up to 20 years is available for approved hotel and resort developments and up to 10 years for income accrued from the rental of villas in approved developments.  The Cabinet must approve these developments.The standard corporate income tax rate is 25 percent.  There is no capital gains tax.  International businesses are exempt from tax.  Corporate tax does not apply to exempt companies or to enterprises that have been granted tax concession.Dominica provides companies with a further tax concession effective at the end of the tax holiday period.  In effect, it is a rebate of a portion of the income tax paid based on export profits as a percentage of total profits.  Full exemption from import duties on parts, raw materials, and production machinery is also available.The government offers incentives for investors in the renewable energy sector, including the reduction or exemption of import duties and VAT on related inputs and a reduction in corporate tax.The Government of Dominica does not have a practice of issuing guarantees or jointly financing foreign direct investment projects.																																				Foreign Trade Zones/Free Ports/Trade Facilitation										There are no foreign trade zones or free ports in Dominica.																																				Performance and Data Localization Requirements										Dominica does not mandate use of local equipment.  The provisions of the Labor Code outline the requirements for acquiring a work permit and prohibit anyone who is not a citizen of Dominica or the OECS to engage in employment unless they have obtained a work permit.  When the government grants work permits to senior managers because no qualified nationals are available for the post, the government may recommend a counterparty trainee who is a Dominican citizen.  There are no excessively onerous visa, residency, or work permit requirements.As a member of the WTO, Dominica is party to the Agreement to the Trade Related Investment Measures.  While there are no formal performance requirements, the government encourages investments that will create jobs and increase exports and foreign exchange earnings.  There are no requirements for participation by nationals or by the government in foreign investment projects.  There is no requirement that enterprises must purchase a fixed percentage of goods or technology from local sources, but the government encourages local sourcing.  Foreign investors receive national treatment. There are no requirements for foreign information technology providers to turn over source code and/or provide access to surveillance.  There are no measures or draft measures that prevent or restrict companies from freely transmitting customer or other business-related data outside the country.																																												5. Protection of Property Rights						    																																																Real Property										Civil law protects physical property and mortgage claims.  There are some special license requirements for the acquisition of land, development of buildings, and expansion of existing construction, and special standards for various aspects of the tourism industry.  Individuals or corporate bodies who are not citizens and who are seeking to acquire land require an Alien Landholders License prior to the execution of transactions, depending upon the amount of land in question.Local laws dictate that a foreign national may hold less than one acre of land for residential purposes or less than three acres for commercial purposes without obtaining an alien landholding license. If more land is required then a license must be obtained, and the applicant must pay a fee of $2,220 (6,000 Eastern Caribbean dollars) to the Office of the Accountant-General.  Applicants must meet all the submission requirements before Cabinet can consider granting the license.  Failure to apply for the license will result in a penalty of $7,400 (20,000 Eastern Caribbean dollars).  Upon acquiring land under Section 5 for an approved development, foreign investors must apply for development permission under the Physical Planning Act within six months of acquiring the land and must start construction of the approved development within one year of receipt of development permission. If property legally purchased is unoccupied for over twelve years, property ownership can revert to other owners, such as squatters.  This was affirmed by the CCJ in a 2019 ruling.																																				Intellectual Property Rights										Dominica has a legislative framework that supports the protection of intellectual property rights (IPR).  While the legal structures governing IPR are generally adequate, enforcement could be strengthened.  The Attorney General is responsible for the administration of IPR laws.  The Companies &amp; Intellectual Properties Office (CIPO) registers patents, trademarks, and service marks.Dominica is signatory to the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property, the Patent Cooperation Treaty, and the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works.  It is also a member of the UN World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).Article 66 of the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas (2001) establishing the CSME commits all 15 CARICOM members to implement IPR protection and enforcement.  The CARIFORUM-EU EPA contains the most detailed obligations regarding IPR in any trade agreement to which Dominica is party.  The CARIFORUM-EU EPA recognizes the protection and enforcement of IPR.  Article 139 of the CARIFORUM-EU EPA requires parties to “ensure an adequate and effective implementation of the international treaties dealing with intellectual property to which they are parties, and of the [WTO] Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS).”The Comptroller of Customs of Dominica spearheads the enforcement of IPR, which includes the detention, seizure, and forfeiture of goods.  The Customs and Excise Department investigates customs offenses and administers fines and penalties.Dominica is not included in the United States Trade Representative (USTR) 2021 Special 301 Report or the 2021 USTR Review of Notorious Markets for Counterfeiting and Piracy.For additional information about national laws and points of contact at local IP offices, please see WIPO’s country profiles at  http://www.wipo.int/directory/en/ .																																												6. Financial Sector						    																																																Capital Markets and Portfolio Investment										Dominica is a member of the ECCU.  As such, it is a member of the Eastern Caribbean Securities Exchange (ECSE) and the Regional Government Securities Market.  The ECSE is a regional securities market established by the ECCB and licensed under the Securities Act of 2001, a uniform regional body of legislation governing the buying and selling of financial products for the eight member territories.  In 2021, the ECSE listed 164 securities, comprising 140 sovereign debt instruments, 13 equities, and 11 corporate debt securities.  Market capitalization stood at $1.9 billion. Dominica is open to portfolio investment.Dominica has accepted the obligations of Article VIII of the IMF Agreement, Sections 2, 3, and 4 and maintains an exchange system free of restrictions on making payments and transfers for current international transactions.  Dominica does not normally grant foreign tax credits except in the case of taxes paid in a British Commonwealth country that grants similar relief for Dominica taxes or where an applicable tax treaty provides a credit.  The private sector has access to credit on the local market through loans, purchases of non-equity securities, trade credits, and other accounts receivable that establish a claim for repayment.																																				Money and Banking System										The eight participating governments of the ECCU have passed the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank Agreement Act.  The act provides for the establishment of the ECCB, its management and administration, its currency, relations with financial institutions, relations with the participating governments, foreign exchange operations, external reserves, and other related matters. Dominica is a signatory to this agreement and the ECCB controls Dominica’s currency and regulates its domestic banks.The Banking Act is a harmonized piece of legislation across the ECCU.  The Minister of Finance usually acts in consultation with, and on the recommendation of, the ECCB with respect to those areas of responsibility within the Minister of Finance’s portfolio.Domestic and foreign banks can establish operations in Dominica.  The Banking Act requires all commercial banks and other institutions to be licensed in order to conduct any banking business.  The ECCB regulates financial institutions.  As part of ongoing supervision, licensed financial institutions are required to submit monthly, quarterly, and annual performance reports to the ECCB.  In its latest annual report, the ECCB listed the commercial banking sector in Dominica as stable.  Assets of commercial banks totaled $781.8 million (2.1 billion Eastern Caribbean dollars) at the end of 2019. Dominica is well served by bank and non-financial institutions.  There are minimal alternative financial services.The Caribbean region has witnessed a withdrawal of correspondent banking services by U.S. and European banks.  CARICOM remains committed to engaging with key stakeholders on the issue and appointed a Committee of Ministers of Finance on Correspondent Banking to monitor the issue.In 2019, the ECCB launched an 18-month financial technology pilot to launch a Digital Eastern Caribbean dollar (DXCD) with its partner, Barbados-based Bitt Inc.  An accompanying mobile application, DCash was officially launched in March 2021 in four pilot countries, adding Dominica to the pilot in December 2021. In January 2022, the platform experienced a system interruption, and its operation was suspended.  The platform regained full functionality at the end of March 2022 following system upgrades. The digital Eastern Caribbean currency operates alongside physical Eastern Caribbean currency.  Dominica does not have any specific legislation to regulate cryptocurrencies.																																				Foreign Exchange and Remittances																										Foreign Exchange						Dominica is a member of the ECCU and the ECCB.  The currency of exchange is the Eastern Caribbean dollar (denoted as XCD).  As a member of the OECS, Dominica has a fully liberalized foreign exchange system.  The XCD has been pegged to the United States dollar at a rate of 2.7 to $1.00 since 1976.  As a result, the XCD does not fluctuate, creating a stable currency environment for trade and investment in Dominica.						Remittance Policies						Local laws dictate that companies registered in Dominica have the right to repatriate all capital, royalties, dividends, and profits free of all taxes or any other charges on foreign exchange transactions.  There are no restrictions on the repatriation of dividends for totally foreign-owned firms.  However, a mixed foreign-domestic company may repatriate profits to the extent of its foreign participation.As a member of the OECS, there are no exchange controls in Dominica and the invoicing of foreign trade transactions is allowed in any currency.  Importers are not required to make prior deposits in local funds and export proceedings do not have to be surrendered to government authorities or to authorized banks.  There are no controls on transfers of funds.  Dominica is a member of the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF).																										Sovereign Wealth Funds										Neither the Government of Dominica, nor the ECCB, of which Dominica is a member, maintains a sovereign wealth fund.																																												7. State-Owned Enterprises						    																																															State-owned enterprises (SOEs) in Dominica work in partnership with ministries, or under their remit to carry out certain specific ministerial responsibilities.  The U.S. Embassy in Bridgetown is aware of 20 SOEs currently operating in areas such as tourism, investment services, broadcasting and media, solid waste management, and agriculture.  There is no published list of these SOEs.  They are all wholly owned government entities.  Each is headed by a board of directors to which senior management reports.  The SOE sector is affected by financial sustainability challenges, with resources insufficient to cover capital replacement.																																				Privatization Program										Dominica does not currently have a targeted privatization program.																																												8. Responsible Business Conduct						    																																															The private sector is involved in projects that benefit society, including support of environmental, social, and cultural causes.  The government encourages philanthropy but does not have regulations in place to mandate such activities by private companies.																																				Additional Resources										Department of StateCountry Reports on Human Rights Practices ();Trafficking in Persons Report ();Guidance on Implementing the “UN Guiding Principles” for Transactions Linked to Foreign Government End-Users for Products or Services with Surveillance Capabilities () and;U.S. National Contact Point for the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises ()Xinjiang Supply Chain Business Advisory ()Department of the TreasuryOFAC Recent Actions ().Department of LaborFindings on the Worst forms of Child Labor Report ( ) and;List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor ().Sweat &amp; Toil: Child Labor, Forced Labor, and Human Trafficking Around the World (); andComply Chain ().																																				Climate Issues										Dominica’s climate policy is guided by its Climate Resiliency and Recovery Plan 2020-2030 and its Nationally Determined Contribution for reducing its greenhouse gas emissions. It does not have a specific strategy in place for monitoring natural capital. Following the devastation wrought by 2017’s Hurricane Maria, the government plans for Dominica to become fully climate resilient. Associated activities include a full transition to renewable energy, strengthening community disaster-response resources, and adaptation of homes and infrastructure to better survive severe weather events. Dominica has indicated that quickly achieving these goals will require substantial support from the international donor community. The government offers incentives for investors in the renewable energy sector, including the reduction or exemption of import duties and VAT on related inputs and a reduction in corporate tax. Public procurement policies do not include environmental and green growth considerations.																																												9. Corruption						    																																															The law provides criminal penalties for corruption by officials; however, government implementation and enforcement of the law is inconsistent.   Members of the political opposition and civil society representatives allege that officials sometimes engaged in corrupt practices with impunity. Local media and opposition leadership continued to raise allegations of corruption within the government, including in the Citizenship by Investment program.  Dominica acceded to the United Nations Convention Against Corruption in 2010.  The country is party to the Inter-American Convention against Corruption.The Integrity in Public Office Act, 2003 and the Integrity in Public Office (Amendment) Act 2015 require government officials to account annually for their income, assets, and gifts.  All offenses under the act, including the late filing of declarations, are criminalized.  The Integrity Commission was established to monitor the functions under this Act.  The Integrity Commission’s mandate and decisions can be found at  http://www.integritycommission.gov.dm .  Generally, the Integrity Commission reports on late submissions and on inappropriately completed forms but does not share financial disclosures of officials with the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions. The Integrity Commission has not updated documents on its website since 2016.The Director of Public Prosecutions is responsible for prosecuting corruption offenses, but it lacks adequate personnel and resources to handle complicated money laundering and public corruption cases.																																				Resources to Report Corruption										Steve HyacinthChairman, Integrity CommissionCross Street, Roseau, DominicaTel: 1-767-266-3436Email:  integritycommission@dominica.gov.dm 																																												10. Political and Security Environment						    																																															Dominica held parliamentary elections in December 2019.  Voting was held under heightened security following weeks of protests and legal challenges seeking electoral reform.  The protests were led by the United Workers’ Party, which lost the election in a landslide to the ruling Dominica Labour Party.Dominica’s economy was severely affected by the COVID-19 crisis.  The IMF has projected that Dominica’s GDP will grow 7.9 percent in 2022.  In May 2020, the government unveiled a disaster resilience strategy that was based on three key pillars: structural resilience, financial resilience, and post-disaster resilience.  Both the IMF and the World Bank provided support to address the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.																																												11. Labor Policies and Practices						    																																															The government last raised Dominica’s minimum wage in June 2008.  It varies according to the category of worker, with the lowest minimum wage set at approximately $1.50 an hour and the maximum set at approximately $2.06 an hour.  The standard workweek is 40 hours for five or six days of work.  The law provides overtime pay for work in excess of the standard workweek.  Dominica has a labor force of approximately 32,630, with a literacy rate of 95 percent.The local state college largely meets the country’s technical and training needs.  There is also a small pool of professionals to draw from in fields such as law, medicine, engineering, business, information technology, and accounting.  Many of the professionals in Dominica trained in the United States, Canada, the UK, or the wider Caribbean, where many of them gained work experience before returning to the country.The labor legislation in Dominica is applicable to all employees and employers.  There are no waivers or exceptions regarding the application of labor laws and standards in Dominica.Employers usually advertise job vacancies in local newspapers.  The government recommends that the advertisement be placed on three separate occasions to ensure transparency and equal opportunity for Dominican residents to apply.  The Embassy is not aware of any instances of government interference with the employer’s right to make hiring determinations.The Labor Contract Act stipulates that an employee shall receive a contract from his/her employer within 14 days of engagement outlining the terms and conditions of employment.The labor laws clearly regulate and define layoffs and the conditions under which layoffs can occur.  Severance by redundancy is also regulated by law.  People employed for three years or more qualify for severance pay.  Social security benefits are payable only when the employee reaches retirement age.The Industrial Relations Act provides for and regulates trade unions in both public and private sectors.  Dominican law provides for the right of workers to form and join independent unions, the right to strike, and the right of workers to bargain collectively with employers.  The government generally enforces laws governing worker rights effectively, and penalties generally were sufficient to deter violations.  Administrative and judicial procedures are not generally subject to lengthy delays or appeals.  Government mediation and arbitration are free of charge.  The law prohibits anti-union discrimination by providing that employers must reinstate workers who file a successful complaint of illegal dismissal, which can cover being fired for engaging in union activities or other grounds of wrongful dismissal. Employers generally reinstated or paid compensation to employees who obtained favorable rulings by the ministry following a complaint of legal dismissal.Collective bargaining is permitted in all firms (both public and private) where the employees are unionized.  A copy of the collective bargaining agreement must be filed at the Ministry of Labor.  There are no sectoral collective agreements.  All unionized firms are obliged by law to negotiate terms and conditions of employment of all workers, whether or not they are members of a trade union.  Dominica ratified all of the International Labor Organization (ILO)’s eight core conventions on human rights and labor administration.The government deemed emergency, port, electricity, telecommunications, and prison services employees, as well as banana, coconut, and citrus fruit cultivation workers “essential,” deterring workers in these sectors from going on the strike.  The ILO noted the list of essential services is broader than international standards.  Nonetheless, in practice essential workers conducted strikes and did not suffer reprisals.  The procedure for essential workers to strike is cumbersome, involving appropriate notice and submitting the grievance to the labor commissioner for possible mediation.  These actions are usually resolved through mediation by the Office of the Labor Commissioner, with the rest referred to the Industrial Relations Tribunal for binding arbitration.The Industrial Relations Act also mandates the establishment of the Industrial Relations Board and the Industrial Relations Tribunals as dispute resolution mechanisms.  The Division of Labor acts as the first arbitrator with matters of investigation, mediation, and conciliation.  Matters are referred only to the tribunals by the minister when conciliation fails or by request of any of the disputing parties.Enforcement is the responsibility of the Labor Commissioner within the Ministry of Justice, Immigration and National Security.  Labor laws provide that the labor commissioner may authorize the employment of a person with disabilities at a wage lower than the minimum rate to enable that person to work.  The Employment Safety Act provides occupational health and safety regulations that are consistent with international standards.  Workers have the right to remove themselves from unsafe work environments without jeopardizing their employment and the authorities effectively enforced this right in practice.The informal economy plays a significant role in the labor market and economy of Dominica. The IMF has estimated that the informal economy averaged 46 percent of GDP over the 2011-2019 period. Nearly forty percent of informal sector workers were in wholesale and retail trade, with another 24 percent in manufacturing, 9 percent in agriculture, forestry, and fishing, and 29 percent in other industries. Despite the significance of the informal economy in Dominica, there is little evidence of its impact on contracts or access to industries of interest to U.S. and other foreign investors.																																												12. U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) and Other Investment Insurance Programs						    																																															As the development bank of the United States, the Development Finance Corporation (DFC) partners with the private sector to finance solutions in developing countries to drive economic growth, create stability, and improve livelihoods.  Dominica was a qualifying country for DFC’s predecessor agency, the Overseas Private Investment Corporation.  There are currently no active DFC projects in Dominica.																																												13. Foreign Direct Investment and Foreign Portfolio Investment Statistics						    																																															Host Country Statistical source*USG or international statistical sourceUSG or International Source of Data: BEA; IMF; Eurostat; UNCTAD, OtherEconomic DataYearAmountYearAmountHost Country Gross Domestic Product (GDP) ($M USD)2020$503.72020$504.2 www.worldbank.org/en/country Foreign Direct InvestmentHost Country Statistical source*USG or international statistical sourceUSG or international Source of data: BEA; IMF; Eurostat; UNCTAD, OtherU.S. FDI in partner country ($M USD, stock positions)N/AN/AN/AN/ABEA data available at  https://apps.bea.gov/international/factsheet/ Host country’s FDI in the United States ($M USD, stock positions)N/AN/A2020$0BEA data available at  https://www.bea.gov/international/direct-investment-and-multinational-enterprises-comprehensive-data Total inbound stock of FDI as % host GDPN/AN/A202066.8%UNCTAD data available at https://unctad.org/topic/investment/world-investment-report * Source for Host Country Data: Eastern Caribbean Central Bank  https://www.eccb-centralbank.org/statistics/dashboard-datas/ .Table 3: Sources and Destination of FDIData not available.																																												14. Contact for More Information						    																																															Political/Economic SectionU.S. Embassy to Barbados, the Eastern Caribbean, and the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States246-227-4000Email:  BridgetownPolEcon@state.gov 																																				    							View report by:																				Albania											Algeria											Andorra											Angola											Antigua and Barbuda											Argentina											Armenia											Singapore											Australia											Austria											Azerbaijan											Bahrain											Bangladesh											Barbados											Belarus											Belgium											Belize											Benin											Bolivia											Bosnia and Herzegovina											Botswana											Brazil											Brunei											Bulgaria											Burkina Faso											Burma											Burundi											Cabo Verde											Cambodia											Cameroon											Canada											Chad											Chile											China											Colombia											Costa Rica											Côte d’Ivoire											Croatia											Cyprus											Czechia											Democratic Republic of the Congo											Denmark											Djibouti											Dominica											Dominica											Dominican Republic											Ecuador											Egypt											El Salvador											Equatorial Guinea											Eritrea											Estonia											Eswatini											Ethiopia											Fiji											Finland											France and Monaco											Gabon											Georgia											Germany											Ghana											Greece											Grenada											Guatemala											Guinea											Guyana											Haiti											Honduras											Hong Kong											Hungary											Iceland											India											Indonesia											Iraq											Ireland											Israel											Italy											Jamaica											Japan											Jordan											Kazakhstan											Kenya											Kosovo											Kuwait											Kyrgyz Republic											Laos											Latvia											Lebanon											Lesotho											Liberia											Libya											Lithuania											Luxembourg											Macau											Malawi											Maldives											Mali											Malta											Mauritania											Mauritius											Mexico											Micronesia											Moldova											Mongolia											Montenegro											Morocco											Mozambique											Namibia											Nepal											New Zealand											Nicaragua											Niger											Nigeria											North Macedonia											Norway											Oman											Pakistan											Palau											Panama											Papua New Guinea											Paraguay											Peru											Poland											Portugal											Qatar											Republic of the Congo											Romania											Rwanda											Saint Kitts and Nevis											Saint Lucia											Saint Vincent and the Grenadines											Samoa											Sao Tome and Principe											Saudi Arabia											Senegal											Serbia											Sierra Leone											Seychelles											Slovakia											Slovenia											Somalia											South Africa											South Korea											South Sudan											Spain											Sri Lanka											Sudan											Suriname											Sweden											Switzerland and Liechtenstein											Taiwan											Tajikistan											Tanzania											Thailand											The Bahamas											The Gambia											The Netherlands											The Philippines											Timor-Leste											Togo											Trinidad and Tobago											Tunisia											Turkey											Turkmenistan											Uganda											United Arab Emirates											United Kingdom											Uruguay											Uzbekistan											Vietnam											West Bank and Gaza											Zambia											Zimbabwe															Build A Custom Report																						On This Page				search													>																										Executive Summary																1. Openness To, and Restrictions Upon, Foreign Investment																																							Policies Towards Foreign Direct Investment																																																						Limits on Foreign Control and Right to Private Ownership and Establishment																																																						Other Investment Policy Reviews																																																						Business Facilitation																																																						Outward Investment																																																			2. Bilateral Investment Agreements and Taxation Treaties																																																	3. Legal Regime																																							Transparency of the Regulatory System																																																						International Regulatory Considerations																																																						Legal System and Judicial Independence																																																						Laws and Regulations on Foreign Direct Investment																																																						Competition and Anti-Trust Laws																																																						Expropriation and Compensation																																																						Dispute Settlement																																																				ICSID Convention and New York Convention																																												Investor-State Dispute Settlement																																												International Commercial Arbitration and Foreign Courts																																																																																				Bankruptcy Regulations																																																			4. Industrial Policies																																							Investment Incentives																																																						Foreign Trade Zones/Free Ports/Trade Facilitation																																																						Performance and Data Localization Requirements																																																			5. Protection of Property Rights																																							Real Property																																																						Intellectual Property Rights																																																			6. Financial Sector																																							Capital Markets and Portfolio Investment																																																						Money and Banking System																																																						Foreign Exchange and Remittances																																																				Foreign Exchange																																												Remittance Policies																																																																																				Sovereign Wealth Funds																																																			7. State-Owned Enterprises																																																				Privatization Program																																																			8. Responsible Business Conduct																																																				Additional Resources																																																						Climate Issues																																																			9. Corruption																																																				Resources to Report Corruption																																																			10. Political and Security Environment																																																	11. Labor Policies and Practices																																																	12. U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) and Other Investment Insurance Programs																																																	13. Foreign Direct Investment and Foreign Portfolio Investment Statistics																																																	14. Contact for More Information																																																							Tags																					Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs																								Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs																								Dominica