NewsWhore
03-25-2010, 05:10 PM
Kai P. Shoenhals, the new president of the Dominican Association of Exporters (Adoexpo) said that in 2009 imports were US$12 billion, compared to exports of US$5.4 billion. Shoenhals said that the DR is obliged to produce and export more than it consumes and imports if it wants to develop, as reported in El Caribe.
He said that in the DR exports are still practically exclusive to large companies, contrary to what happens in countries such as Ireland, US and Germany where small and medium size companies are responsible for the bulk of exports.
"Here there are around 2,000 to 2,500 companies that export between US$50,000 and US$100,000 a year," he says. He wants to see a growth in exports of these companies but also more players coming to the market.
He commented that neither DR-CAFTA nor EPA with Europe have had the expected effect of stimulating exports. He criticized that the high cost of electricity makes it difficult for Dominican industries to compete. He says exporting companies pay half for power than Central American firms.
He called for more technicians and less political appointees to be sent to Dominican embassies. "We need to have embassies staffed by sales people for the DR and when there is a problem with exports, that they show up", he said commenting on recent problems in Costa Rica, where the Dominican Embassy has been mute.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#8)
He said that in the DR exports are still practically exclusive to large companies, contrary to what happens in countries such as Ireland, US and Germany where small and medium size companies are responsible for the bulk of exports.
"Here there are around 2,000 to 2,500 companies that export between US$50,000 and US$100,000 a year," he says. He wants to see a growth in exports of these companies but also more players coming to the market.
He commented that neither DR-CAFTA nor EPA with Europe have had the expected effect of stimulating exports. He criticized that the high cost of electricity makes it difficult for Dominican industries to compete. He says exporting companies pay half for power than Central American firms.
He called for more technicians and less political appointees to be sent to Dominican embassies. "We need to have embassies staffed by sales people for the DR and when there is a problem with exports, that they show up", he said commenting on recent problems in Costa Rica, where the Dominican Embassy has been mute.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#8)