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2018 Annual Economic and Financial Review
DOMINICA
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49
Eastern Caribbean Central Bank
Prices, Wages and Employment
The consumer price index is estimated to
have risen by 2.8 per cent in 2018,
compared with a 0.6 per cent increase in
2017
. The inflationary pressures were largely
attributable to increases in the prices of food
and non-alcoholic beverages (10.4 per cent);
housing, utilities, gas and fuels (1.5 per cent)
and transport (1.5 per cent).
Regarding wages and employment, complete
data are unavailable for the private sector. In
the public sector, however, the total number
of persons employed rose by 1.5 per cent to
4,236 at the end of 2018, following a decline
of 6.3 per cent in the previous year. Among
the categories of workers, increases in
employment were registered for non-
established officers (16.4 per cent) and
contractual officers (35.7 per cent).
However, this increase was moderated by a
4.3 per cent decrease in the number of
established officers and a reduction of half of
the number of officers on special assignment.
Fiscal and Debt Developments
The fiscal operations of the central
government resulted in a preliminary
overall deficit of $133.0m (9.8 per cent of
GDP); relative to a smaller deficit of
$70.0m (5.2) per cent of GDP) recorded in
2017.
Similarly, a primary deficit of $107.2m
(7.9 per cent of GDP) was realised,
representing a deterioration from one of
$47.8m (3.6 per cent of GDP) recorded in the
previous year. The deficits were largely
fuelled by an upsurge in capital expenditure,
and mainly funded by domestic sources.
Capital expenditure grew by $114.7m to
$374.7m largely associated with spending on
rehabilitation works as well as housing repair
and reconstruction post hurricane Maria.
Other infrastructural improvements such as
the dredging of rivers and investments in
human capital also contributed to the rise in
capital expenditure. Capital grants spent
amounted to $0.1m, a decline from the