NewsWhore
02-24-2011, 03:50 PM
Speaking at the American Chamber of Commerce luncheon meeting yesterday, Free Zones Association president Fernando Capellan focused on what the country needs to do to improve the country's positioning for competing on the domestic and international markets. He made recommendations for reducing the cost of doing business that would better position businesses to compete and create more jobs.
Among the issues affecting business is that for every RD$1 in wages, employees need to factor in another RD$0.65 in additional fixed labor costs. He called for the elimination of the severance requirement for new workers, as set out in Art. 50 when the social security law was passed.
He also called for the elimination of the monopoly on ground transport, which in many cases forces business owners to pay double the market price. He spoke of changing what he described as the government's "anti-export attitude", improving ties with universities and the productive sector and guaranteeing financing to small and medium-size businesses.
Capellan pointed out that the country needs a major turnaround because these are the same issues he mentioned in a speech on 28 February 2001!
These problems are the reasons why the DR had a bad report card in the Competitiveness, Doing Business and World Economic Forum rankings, he said.
The Free Zone Association president said on the other hand that technological advances are creating an industrial revolution and the country enjoys good infrastructure in terms of roads, airports and ports, a healthy banking system, telecoms, strong tourism industry, good laws, good international image of the country and the President, and a committed business sector.
Capellan called for innovation in the free zone sector to incorporate new talents and a coherent vision for the country's development on the part of the public and private sectors, as reported in Hoy. He called for changes in the educational system, with more teacher training, strengthening of grade school education and the adoption of English as a competitive resource. He said that work was needed on reducing production costs that he said continue to increase. He said local companies needed to create the conditions for standing out and being innovative. He also called for the DR to strengthen ties with China, Taiwan, Brazil, Indonesia and India.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#5)
Among the issues affecting business is that for every RD$1 in wages, employees need to factor in another RD$0.65 in additional fixed labor costs. He called for the elimination of the severance requirement for new workers, as set out in Art. 50 when the social security law was passed.
He also called for the elimination of the monopoly on ground transport, which in many cases forces business owners to pay double the market price. He spoke of changing what he described as the government's "anti-export attitude", improving ties with universities and the productive sector and guaranteeing financing to small and medium-size businesses.
Capellan pointed out that the country needs a major turnaround because these are the same issues he mentioned in a speech on 28 February 2001!
These problems are the reasons why the DR had a bad report card in the Competitiveness, Doing Business and World Economic Forum rankings, he said.
The Free Zone Association president said on the other hand that technological advances are creating an industrial revolution and the country enjoys good infrastructure in terms of roads, airports and ports, a healthy banking system, telecoms, strong tourism industry, good laws, good international image of the country and the President, and a committed business sector.
Capellan called for innovation in the free zone sector to incorporate new talents and a coherent vision for the country's development on the part of the public and private sectors, as reported in Hoy. He called for changes in the educational system, with more teacher training, strengthening of grade school education and the adoption of English as a competitive resource. He said that work was needed on reducing production costs that he said continue to increase. He said local companies needed to create the conditions for standing out and being innovative. He also called for the DR to strengthen ties with China, Taiwan, Brazil, Indonesia and India.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#5)