At the opening ceremony for the fifth iteration of Ti Vilaj Kwéyòl—Tout Biten Domnik, held at the island’s iconic Botanic Gardens from October 19 to 22, 2026, Daren Pinard, Minister of State for the Ministry of Labour and Small Business Development, delivered a clear call to local small and medium enterprise owners: seek out and capitalize on government-backed support programs designed to fuel business growth.
Pinard highlighted that the Dominica government has rolled out a broad suite of assistance initiatives tailored to the needs of small local businesses, but uptake among entrepreneurs remains far lower than expected. One of the most impactful underused schemes, he noted, is the fiscal incentive license program, which grants participating small businesses duty-free access to key equipment and supplies needed to scale operations. Despite the tangible cost savings this program delivers, only a small fraction of eligible businesses have completed applications to access the benefit.
Looking back at the government’s previous small business support efforts, Pinard recalled the $27.8 million lending facility rolled out in 2022, which exceeded all expectations. Driven by strong demand from entrepreneurs across the country, the program successfully disbursed low-advantage loans to 554 individual small businesses, helping hundreds of local operators expand inventory, upgrade facilities, and hire additional staff. In response to the overwhelming success of the initial fund, the government has earmarked an additional $19 million for the same lending program in its latest national budget, with identical favorable terms for borrowers.
“The government remains fully committed to backing small businesses in every way possible,” Pinard emphasized. He added that the administration is also actively open to feedback and new ideas from the business community, standing ready to adjust existing programs or develop new support structures to better meet entrepreneurs’ needs. Looking ahead, Pinard pointed to a wave of large-scale infrastructure projects currently in the pipeline—including a new international airport, a modern marina, and a mountain cable car tourism development—that will create significant downstream economic opportunities for local small businesses as the projects are completed. These large developments are expected to drive a surge in tourism and commercial activity, opening new markets for local entrepreneurs to launch, expand, and turn profitable.