NewsWhore
04-30-2008, 03:30 PM
Several business leaders have pointed out the need for a revision of the Free Trade Agreement with Central America that was signed in 1999. Some business representatives asked for equal treatment on the grounds that the region is blocking the entry of Dominican products into the Central American trade area. Celso Marranzini suggested that some tariffs should be applied to products from Guatemala as reciprocal treatment for Dominican products trying to enter the Central American country.
According to Free Trade Zone Association (ADOZONA) president Fernando Capellan, the agreement with Central America should be revised, but "I (Capellan) do not think the problem is Central America or Guatemala, the problem is that the Dominican Republic has lost its competitiveness. We have stopped being competitive. There are many factors, from the Labor Code that is obsolete, from the big expense of social security... Where we have a series of costs that are very high compared to these countries."
Jesus Moreno, the president of the Herrera Industrial Association emphasized the need for some sort of dialogue between the two parties in order to solve the problem, rather than taking restrictive measures.
Aquiles Bermudez, the president of the Santiago Free Zone Association said that his group was in agreement with the CONEP position that the Dominican Republic was losing its competitive position in the marketplace.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#10)
According to Free Trade Zone Association (ADOZONA) president Fernando Capellan, the agreement with Central America should be revised, but "I (Capellan) do not think the problem is Central America or Guatemala, the problem is that the Dominican Republic has lost its competitiveness. We have stopped being competitive. There are many factors, from the Labor Code that is obsolete, from the big expense of social security... Where we have a series of costs that are very high compared to these countries."
Jesus Moreno, the president of the Herrera Industrial Association emphasized the need for some sort of dialogue between the two parties in order to solve the problem, rather than taking restrictive measures.
Aquiles Bermudez, the president of the Santiago Free Zone Association said that his group was in agreement with the CONEP position that the Dominican Republic was losing its competitive position in the marketplace.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#10)