NewsWhore
06-25-2012, 05:21 PM
Economist Roberto Despradel writes today in El Caribe to alert Dominican authorities that safety and security are the key issues to maintaining the present high levels of foreign investment in the Dominican Republic. He bases his statement on data contained in the 9 April 2012 Congressional Research Service report "The Dominican Republic-Central America- United States Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA- DR): Developments in Trade and Investment" by J.F. Hornbeck.
It also points out that there is an increase in foreign investment in Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic, the two countries with higher production costs than in Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala. He makes the point these countries, despite having higher production costs, have relatively attracted more investment than regional countries such as El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala that are known to have greater security issues.
"This is where the essence of this report for policy-makers in the Dominican Republic," comments Despradel. "We need to keep close tract of security matters, that have been deteriorating, even when not yet to the levels of our Central American countries, setting aside Costa Rica."
Despradel also alerts to the need to maintain economic stability, and focus more on education, both at the basic level and to create the skills needed to increase exports.
"And we need to have an active industrial policy to increase productivity at all levels. We have already taken firm steps with the Proindustria Law, that now is 5 years old and needs to be reviewed to strengthen it as a tool to attract investments, create jobs and stimulate exports," he writes.
http://www.elcaribe.com.do/2012/06/25/reciente-informe-del-cafta
http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/row/R42468.pdf
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#3)
It also points out that there is an increase in foreign investment in Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic, the two countries with higher production costs than in Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala. He makes the point these countries, despite having higher production costs, have relatively attracted more investment than regional countries such as El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala that are known to have greater security issues.
"This is where the essence of this report for policy-makers in the Dominican Republic," comments Despradel. "We need to keep close tract of security matters, that have been deteriorating, even when not yet to the levels of our Central American countries, setting aside Costa Rica."
Despradel also alerts to the need to maintain economic stability, and focus more on education, both at the basic level and to create the skills needed to increase exports.
"And we need to have an active industrial policy to increase productivity at all levels. We have already taken firm steps with the Proindustria Law, that now is 5 years old and needs to be reviewed to strengthen it as a tool to attract investments, create jobs and stimulate exports," he writes.
http://www.elcaribe.com.do/2012/06/25/reciente-informe-del-cafta
http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/row/R42468.pdf
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#3)