Above: Dominica (CJ Photo)

By the Caribbean Journal staff

Dominica and China have signed an agreement on a total of $16 million in new projects.

The Chinese-funded projects are slated to come on stream this year, according to a statement from the government.

The agreement is highlighted by a hospital project, which will launch this year, according to Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit.

“We have to address certain technical details of the drawing [of the hospital],” he said. “We will also see the commencement of the much-needed bridge in the Layou/Clark Hall area, another gift which has been offered to us by the Government of China. That will no doubt improve the communication, livelihood of those farmers and road safety in the area.”

The funding is also covering the construction of a new primary school called the Newtown Primary School.

“When complete, the Newtown Primary School will become, in many respects, the premier primary school in Dominica,” Skerrit said.