Under certain circumstances, final appeals go to the judicial committee of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom. There are plans to replace this avenue of appeal with a Caribbean Court of Justice which would serve a number of Caribbean countries. The Dominican economy has made some good progress since independence but remains highly vulnerable and in need of continued diversification. GDP has grown throughout the 1990s but the continued dependence on agriculture, and bananas in particular, as the main contributor to both GDP and foreign earnings means that there have been inevitable set backs as a result of severe tropical weather and there is a long term threat as the European banana market opens up. The Government is very aware of this danger and is making efforts to develop the tourism industry, with a particular emphasis on eco-tourism and to grow the burgeoning offshore financial services sector.
Unemployment continues to be a serious problem.
The economy is dependent on agriculture which makes up around 20 per cent of GDP and occupies around 40 per cent of the labour force. The principal crop is bananas which comprise around 50 per cent of Dominica s exports. Dominica s climate however, makes the banana industry highly vulnerable. In 1989 hurricane Hugo destroyed around 70 per cent of the crop and in 1995 hurricane Luis wiped out 95 per cent. The banana industry has also suffered from competition with other larger producers, particularly in South America, since the European banana industry began to phase out preferred access to its market in 1992.