NewsWhore
07-25-2011, 01:40 PM
Representatives of the free zone industry in the Dominican Republic say prospects are good for attracting a large number of manufacturers that are considering closing their operations in China. At a breakfast meeting at the Listin Diario, a member of the board of directors of Adozona (Dominican Association of Free Zones) Manuel Enrique Tavares said that manufacturers would be attracted by the free trade agreements the DR has signed with the United States and Europe. He said the sector employs 130,000 workers in 28 of 32 of the provinces nationwide.
He said the number of jobs has begun to increase, and the good news is that the new jobs are in sophisticated produce areas. While in the past 70% of the free zone companies were apparel companies, today of 555 companies, only 120 (22%) are in apparel.
Tavares said the potential is there to create a million jobs in 10 years. Adozona executive director Jose Torres said: "If that can become a national objective, then everything else will follow."
Association president Aquiles Bermudez said they have reports of companies that used to operate in the DR and relocated to China but are considering returning. He said Taiwanese companies were studying the market to export from here to the US. Key issues today are the proximity, especially when the distance a product travels is now being considered and its effects on the environment.
Bermudez said that in order to continue creating jobs, the DR needed to revise its Labor Code to incorporate modern concepts such as flexibility in working hours, eliminating of ceilings of monthly, weekly and yearly work schedules. He said this would attract more companies to the DR. Other obstacles to increased job creation are the ground cargo transport monopoly and rising cost of maritime transport and electricity.
Bermudez said the free zone industry has the capacity to generate one million jobs, up from the current 130,000. He said the labor code is from the 1990s and business and trade in the world have changed.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#8)
He said the number of jobs has begun to increase, and the good news is that the new jobs are in sophisticated produce areas. While in the past 70% of the free zone companies were apparel companies, today of 555 companies, only 120 (22%) are in apparel.
Tavares said the potential is there to create a million jobs in 10 years. Adozona executive director Jose Torres said: "If that can become a national objective, then everything else will follow."
Association president Aquiles Bermudez said they have reports of companies that used to operate in the DR and relocated to China but are considering returning. He said Taiwanese companies were studying the market to export from here to the US. Key issues today are the proximity, especially when the distance a product travels is now being considered and its effects on the environment.
Bermudez said that in order to continue creating jobs, the DR needed to revise its Labor Code to incorporate modern concepts such as flexibility in working hours, eliminating of ceilings of monthly, weekly and yearly work schedules. He said this would attract more companies to the DR. Other obstacles to increased job creation are the ground cargo transport monopoly and rising cost of maritime transport and electricity.
Bermudez said the free zone industry has the capacity to generate one million jobs, up from the current 130,000. He said the labor code is from the 1990s and business and trade in the world have changed.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#8)