NOVEMBER 2008

National economy and oil prices down

Rehabilitation of the tourist roads

President Leonel Fernández was not wrong when he specified that economy would enclose this year with a growth by 5.4%, with foreign investments for more than 80 billion dollars and with a maximum inflation by 13%.

The leader communicated these data during a closing speech of a workshop seminar concerning the national developmental perspectives.

However, it should be known that our economy will also have its negative hitches already projected for 2009, future consequences of the financial catastrophe which whips the first economy of the world, that of the United States, because of the fiasco of the sub-prime credits of the real sector which produced a deficit of more than 700 billion dollars.

The oil prices decreased in an abrupt way, from 146 to 65 dollars per barrel, which, translated into prospects, means reduction of more than 1 billion dollar on our oil bill, on the 35 billion to pay this year.

By this fact, the president will assign parts to rehabilitate the Duarte road, the circumvallation of Santiago, the Navarrete-Puerto Plata road, the Uvero Alto-Miches road as well as carrying on with the construction of the Santo Domingo-Samaná-Las Terrenas Atlantic Boulevard, so primary ways and its secondary branches related to tourism.

For his part, the minister of Tourism, Francisco Javier García specified that his sector will grow with firmness in 2009 and that in October; they counted investments for more than 700 million dollars in the sector.

Hoy Digital, by Ubi Rivas, 03.11.08

Welcome to Samaná !

Las Terrenas beaches, new attraction for the people of the Capital

The Province of Santo Domingo and all the Capital have a new interior tourism attraction, it acts of the most important infrastructure on the level of the terrestrial communications built these last years, the Juan Pablo II road, better known as the Samaná-Santo Domingo higway.

Now, visiting the Atlantic coasts is more close than ever, to enjoy the beaches of Samaná, Las Terrenas, Las Galeras, Nagua or the balnearios of Río San Juan, the El Limón waterfall among much other natural attractions, is as easy as to plan an excursion to Boca Chica, Juan Dolio, Najayo, Palenque, Playa Caribe, Río Comate or to the famous Río Nizao.

The Dominicans of the Capital and the province of Santo Domingo had never imagined to be able to go to Samaná in only one hour and half at moderated speed, because this way lasted 5 to 6 hours before, because of the bad condition of the old roads.

Now, we can enjoy some of most beautiful views on the roadside. Great properties of African palm trees and of course the way through the Los Haïtises National Park as well as the rice plantations of Macorís, are some landscapes which make appear the way much shorter, this combined with a wet and fresh typical climate in a still untouched paradise.

But on the other hand, this road is apparently not accessible to all the residents, the three toll stations representing an obstacle difficult to cross.

The stations bear the name of Marbella toll (or Las Americas) which is crossed for a cost of 40 pesos in the two ways, of Naranjal toll (or San Isidro) 130 pesos in the two ways and of Guaraguao toll, for a cost of 155 pesos in the two ways.

To resume, all these prices added togehtehr (forlittle or family vehicles), represent an overall costs of 650 pesos.

The work agents and their governmental counterpart justify these high prices by the saving made compared to the old road, in time, six hours; and in fuel.

The Dominicans accustomed to pay 30 pesos for one way to go to tourist destinations of great quality like the South and the East of the country, balk at paying this high price.

The persons in charge of the infrastructure should present to the country what was the strategy used to fix the amounts and the government should cease to be accomplice and present to the public opinion the real conditions of the contract it has with the investor company.

It is right to be delighted and to congratulate the construction of this tourist wonder which is the Juan Pablo II road, but it is necessary that the state applies new strategies to fix the prices, and that it supports a little more the people and not the large foreign an local capitals with this simplistic speech to justify the toll costs only by time-savings and distance.

Let us think of the residents of the large capital and think of the direct benefits that they could bring to Samaná, Nagua and the other localities of the North-East, a social, cultural and economic dynamism, to develop the country with a more human face and taking people into account in first !

Al Momento, by Jhanel Ferreras, 04.11.08

Photo Los Ojos de Denis - All rights reserved

Aviation Tourism

An activity which could pay more than 200 million dollars

As from January 2009, a greater number of American private pilots will arrive to the country, this thanks to its tourist destination conditions and thanks to the success of the experience of both international « fly in » organized this year, during which more than 50 pilots visited various tourist poles of the country.

This information was offered by James Parker, the biggest promoter of this type of activity in the United States, and who ensured that in next January, a « fly in » with the participation of approximately 30 pilots coming from various American cities, will fly to Puerto Plata, Santo Domingo and El Portillo in Las Terrenas, among other zones of the country.

We project another « fly in » for January. The last one carried out in October in Santiago, Constanza, San Pedro de Macorís and Punta Cana was a great success and generated a lot of interest, he said by making a visit of courtesy to the Secretariat of Tourism (Sectur).

He added that the idea is to organize four or five « fly in » in Dominican Republic every year, and he ensured that in two months, at least four other excursions of this nature will take place, with the aim of discovering other zones of the country, such as for example Pedernales, Barahona and Montecristi, among others.

He expressed that these activities will be, just like the preceding ones, organized by the Caribbean Flying Adventures company, chaired by Parker, under the auspice of Sectur, the Institute of Civil Aviation (IDAC) and other organizations.

Hoy Digital, 05.11.08

The tourists flowed to Dominican Republic in spite of the economic crisis

More than three million 100 thousand foreign visitors

Fears of the Dominican authorities as for a reduction in tourism, its independent source of currencies, were not confirmed, at least with regard to the first nine months of the year, whereas the arrivals of foreigners increased.

More than three million 100 thousand foreign visitors arrived to the Dominican air terminals between January and September of the current year, according to the statistics of the Central Bank (CB).

The figure represents an increase by 2.2 percent compared to last year, when the tourist season was considered favorable in terms of receipts.

North America, with a contribution equivalent to 52.13 percent of the visitors, and Western Europe, 37.35 percent, are the continents at the head of the transmitting countries.

However, the CB indicates that countries not forming part of the usual ones like Russia, Belgium, Scotland and Switzerland, are also emerging in the Dominican tourist market.

The increase in the number of visitors coming from these countries obeys a strategy of promotion of the Secretariat of Tourism which during the current year invested more than five million dollars in publicity as well as usual sectors as for new prospects.

Diario Digital, 06.11.08

Las Terrazas de Cosón

In harmony with the nature

The principal executives of the Valmán Group organized a cocktail to reveal the details to their customers, associates and friends, of their real estate project Las Terrazas de Cosón, located along the North-eastern coast, near to Las Terrenas.

Eric Lhardit, CEO of the project, explained that the complex had a unrestricted view over sea and the surrounding mountains and that it was composed of 72 villas distributed on a ground of 1 million and half of square meters, which allows that each house is enjoying its own private space.

Lhardit indicated that the design of the project was eco convivial, the green roofs of these residences are covered with plants, thus contributing to energy saving and to the reduction of environmental impact of the latter.

The project will be at 15 minutes of the El Catey International airport when the construction of the Atlantic Tourist Boulevard is terminated.

Las Terrazas de Cosón will have at disposal several shop and an exciting night life because the residents will be able to enjoy their clubs, a café bar and an exclusive restaurant, this in an fashion atmosphere while being sophisticated, where European and Dominican influence will be mixed, with an international food offer with savors of all the world.

Boletín Informativo, Luz y Fuerza de Las Terrenas, 07.11.08

Approval of new tourist projects

For a value of 7 billion dollars

The Minister of Tourism, Francisco Javier García, revealed that only for October, this portfolio approved projects for a sum of 7 billion dollars.

These projects will start to be developed in the coming months.

After having ensured that tourism was the only activity which was infallible despite of the great world crises, the civil servant explained that other projects were on standby, waiting for the return of President Leonel Fernández for presenting them and making him known the investors.

He revealed that a group of company managers of Miami proposed to come to visit the country to carry out great investments in the sector.

Interviewed at the time of the TV program « D´Agenda », animated by Héctor Herrera Cabral, García said that the response of the Secretariat of Tourism to face the economic crisis of the United States is to extend the number of tourist offices in this nation.

El Caribe, by Rosa Lugo, 10.11.08

Photo Los Ojos de Denis - All rights reserved

Dominican tourist sector to diversify its offer

Productive investment

The Tourism Ministry (Sectur) will implement a strategic plan for tourism development in order to reach the main markets and strengthen the country´s position in those other where it is already leading.

In statements to Bohio International magazine, the new Tourism Minister Francisco Javier García also said Sectur plans to make a follow-up to all projects underway and to consolidate the already obtained achievements.

Together with the private sector, we have envisioned a plan to make tourists directly linked with the community. With the plan called « Tourists at my home », visitors will be able to share one day with a Dominican family García said.

Another program plans to create a specialized fund for productive investment in the tourist areas, encompassing the farming, craft and business sectors, the minister announced.

Dominican Today, 11.11.08

The Senate approves 432 millions dollars

For the El Coral highway and the Touristic Boulevard of the Atlantic

SANTO-DOMINGO.- The Senate approved last night an Agreement Affidavit of the Concession contract of the Santo-Domingo cross Rincón de Molinillo (Samaná) road, for the beginning of the second step of the project that contemplates a 160.6 millions dollars investment.

The initiative was approved unanimously by the senators, during a session directed by the vice-president of the organism, Cristina Lizardo.

The senators welcomed a favorable report presented by the commissions of the Public Works and the Treasury Department, that explained that the financing of this stage will be private too, and will be built by the Boulevard Turístico del Atlántico company, to which the Autopistas del Nordeste company gives and surrogates the optional reach for the realization of the road network Nagua-Samaná.

The project contains the road circuit that will connect Nagua-Rincón de Molinillos-Sánchez-Santa Barbara de Samaná-El Limón-Las Terrenas- International Airport El Catey, of more or less 124 kilometers.

The Finalization Act of the Stage of the Design Review and Traffic Demand Study, and the Finalization Act of Improvement of the Financial Close of the Concession Contract were approved too.

El Coral

The Senators approved in first reading the project that infringed the law 175-03, that allows the Executive Authority to engage the financial intermediation for 255 millions for the infrastructure notes issues to be placed in the International Capital Market to carry out the El Coral highway.

Diario Libre, 12.11.08

Tourism Ministry negotiates a reduction of airports taxes

To increase DR competitiveness

London, UK.- The Tourism Ministry, Francisco Javier García, announced that he began conversations with the Dominican Airports Century XXI company (Aerodom) and the Punta Cana Group, in order to find favorable incentives to the competitiveness of the Tourism Dominican Sector.

He offered the information after a meeting with Peter Rowe, Managment Director of Overseas Airports of the TUI Airlines company, with whom he evaluated a possible program of incentives aiming to reduce the airport taxes of the country.

Tui Airline manages six European airlines that operate in Dominican Republic from Belgium, France, Holland, UK, Germany and Swiss.

TO Sun Wing announces new flights from Canada to Puerto Plata

Francisco Javier García met Lawrence R. Elliot, vice-president of Business and Corporative Matters of Sun Winds, one of the main Tour Operators of our market in Canada.

In this meeting, the Elliot announced the opening of a new flight from Canada to Puerto Plata that will start next week.

Sun Wing is a Canada Tour Operator that haves flights to 16 cities in Canada, and that applies the low cost policy, but offering a hight quality service.

Lawrence R. Elliot said that this modality of business seduced many people in the Canada market since the beginning six years ago.

García said he was happy with this innovative strategy of marketing and urged them to continue this good work in order to increase the number of tourist they bring to Dominican Republic.

García met Mary Ann Capone too, director of products of Thomas Cook North America, with whom he defined strategies to incrase the arrivals of tourists to the country.

SECTUR, 13.11.08

Cédulas and foreigners

Almeyda: The state is authorized to define the migratory status

The Minister of Interior and Police Department, Franklin Almeyda, said that the National Plan of Regularization of illegal foreigners implemented in the country, prepared by the government, had as a mandate, according to Law 285-4 on the Migration, to define the migratory status of the foreign people.

The regularization refers to the status of the foreigners. A foreigner when he enters in the country can do it without documents, in an illegal way or he can enter in a legal way. Who are those who enter without documents or illegally ? All those who enter without any authorization, announced Almeyda.

He said that those who enter in a legal way are those who have a visa of authorization. For example people who are passing through. According to the law, a passer-by is precisely someone passing through but who does not have the right to be established in the country, such as for example a tourist, an agricultural worker or a worker in the construction sector, a person who comes to study.

The civil servant, who answered the questions of Listín Diario, underlined: What it should be made in this country is, as we know that in Las Terrenas there are a majority of Frenchs, of Germans in Cabarete, that in Boca Chica, the majority are Italians or Spanishs, to know the largest demographic concentrations of foreigners in the country. And to know if they are legal ? If they have documents ?

For much of them, their time of residence is expired or they came to the country with a simple visa of tourist and then they stayed. What is necessary to make ? It is necessary to regularize the status of the foreigners.

He indicated that the National Council of Migration was chaired by the Interior and Police Department, in addition to some institutions like the Armed forces, the Work and the Migration, etc.

There are more than three years that we adopted the Law on the Migration but this one was suspended until that one implements the reform of the Constitution suggested by President Leonel Fernández which contains the subject of nationality.

Almeyda said that once approved this Constitution, one will be able to then adopt the rules. In our case, what should be made ? Firstly, it is necessary to know how much foreigners are living in the country, who they are, of which nationality and then how to define their status and on which basis, supported the civil servant.

Interviewed on the fact of knowing if it was the Migration which decided the status of an immigrant and then that it was the Central Electoral Board (JCE) which emitted the cédulas, Almeyda stressed that the National Council of Migration had various attributions with regard to the migrating policies, but that the Migration was the operational part of this Council, while the JCE was the emetor organism.

When we define for example the status of a person as a university student and that this person comes in the country for this purpose, one gives him a visa from the chancellery, we define the status and the JCE does not intervene.

Now, in the case of a person who has been here for 30 years, 20 years, according to the status of this person, he becomes resident in the country, one gives him a cédula for foreigner. There is no cédula for the illegal ones, no, there are cédulas for the foreigners, he indicated.

And the entity which grants a cédula to a foreigner is indeed the Central Electoral Board, confirmed Almeyda.

Listín Diario, by Yudelkis Guerrero,14.11.08

Photo Los Ojos de Denis - All rights reserved

The European crisis should not affect remittances and exports

Impact on tourism sector

Tourism coming from Europe will be affected by the recession present in the European zone, but the impact on the money remittances and exports should be weaker than as expected in the United States.

José Mella, president ofthe Dominican Association of Travel Agents and Tourism (Adavit); Freddy Ortiz, president of the Association of the Remittance Companies, and Jeffrey Rannik, president of the Association of the Ship owners of Dominican Republic, expressed their considerations while being interviewed by the Listín Diario.

Mella explained that the first expenses which one removes in the familial economy are those which represent the international travels.

He added that the European crisis did not yet affect the tourist market of the Dominican Republic because the travel packages are acquired with anticipation.

However, he announced that the fact that the European Union had entered in recession worried the travel agents, the hotel keepers and the owners of tourist businesses, because they anticipated a substantial reduction in the quantity of visitors coming from the 15 countries of the European zone.

Meanwhile, Ortiz said that although it was thought that the money remittances coming from Europe would be affected, they will be less affected than those coming from the United States.

He explained that the remittances sent from the European Union represent the 16% of the totallity entering in the country, whereas those of the United States constitute the 82%.

During the second quarter of 2008, the family economic transfers decreased by 5%, said Ortiz, compared to the January-June period of this year.

The Central Bank reports that between January and June 2008, the families received 1,558.9 million dollars, and 1,481 million for the period July-November of this year.

On his side, Mella informed that between Monday and Tuesday, Adavit, the National Association of the Hotels and Restaurants (Asonahores) and the Secretariat of Tourism (Sectur), will meet to assess and calculate the impact of the European recession.

Rannik supported that exports towards Europe represent 20% of the totality of the market of this sector; this is why a recession on this continent will not have a significant impact on the stability of these companies.

Last weekend, the economists Miguel Ceara Hatton and Henry Hebrard, as well as the company manager Pablo Piantini, said to Listín Diario that the recession in Europe would affect the basic sectors of the economy like tourism, remittances and exports.

Listín Diario, by Carlos Arturo Guisarre, 17.11.08

The air tickets prices drop

The plane fuel avtur dropped by 78.83 RD $ since July

The prices of the plane tickets for Miami, New York and for Spain dropped by 10 to 20 percent these last days, this because of the beginning of the high season and of the fall in the fuel prices.

For Miami, there are offers for 188 US $ more the taxes, the travel thus costs from now on approximately 11,400 RD $, whereas one month ago, its price was approximately 15,000 RD $.

For New York, the prices oscillate between 14,000 and 15,000 RD $, which represents a fall of 10 percent. While for Puerto Rico, the tickets are maintained at 16,000 RD $ and do not lower because there are not many companies operating this road, as explained Edison Ureña, vice-president of the Dominican Association of the Travel Agencies (Adavit).

Since November 15, the tourist high season started in the country as well as the beginning of the festive season, therefore the airline companies have as a habit to propose special prices on some tickets, and now they have even more attractive offers thanks to the fall in the fuel prices.

Diario Libre, 18.11.08

Environment chief expects Dominicans to support his actions

Documentary on the Los Haïtises National Park

Environment minister Jaime David Fernandez Mirabal said he hopes Dominican society will support his actions to defend the natural resources and will support that agency’s employees who work to conserve the country’s protected areas.

I’m repeat offender of hope. I have hope for Dominican society and we have reason for optimism. This is a collective answer to preserve, to strengthen and to rationality take advantage the natural resources we have in the country.

The official spoke during the debut of three documentaries for television on « The national system of protected areas », « The marine turtles as a threatened species » and « The Los Haitises National Park. »

He said the farmers will have to accept the sacrifice to preserve the natural patrimony of Los Haitises, where Environment conducts operations to prevent devastation and forests being turned into croplands. There are guarantees of sustainable development and to improve the living conditions of Dominicans if we improve and bolster the protected areas.

Fernandez Mirabal said the country’s three large mountain ranges concentrate its geographic characteristics in five karstic mountain ranges (formation of irregular limestone region with sinkholes, underground streams, and caverns), three mountains, four coastal plains, four valleys and five plateaus. These are resources of great national and international ecological value.

The documentaries feature Los Haitises as one of the planet’s four karstic points, whose form is originated by the « chemical meteorization » of certain rocks, and that he Dominican coasts are the Caribbean’s largest reproduction site for four of the eight species of marine turtles (sea turtle, green turtle, caguamo and leatherback).

Dominican Today, 19.11.08

Photo Los Ojos de Denis - All rights reserved

Beach access denied to Dominicans

Tourist Zones

PRD politician and former Samana senator Milton Ray Guevara has denounced the increasingly prevalent illegal practice of denying locals entry to beaches in some of the DR’s tourism areas.

According to Guevara, tourism companies are restricting access to public areas in Samana on the grounds that they have to guarantee the safety and cleanliness of their beach areas.

Guevara argues that no one has the right to deny beach access to Dominicans.

Guevara complained that last week he went to Cayo Levantado in Samana and was asked to show his ID before being allowed to enter a beach area.

He was told that there was a foreign cruise ship in the area and that tourist safety had to be guaranteed.

Guevara has also complained about the quality of roads in Samana, especially the ones leading to Las Terrenas.

The conflict presented by Guevara has been ongoing and companies point to the facr that after the long Easter holidays, for example, beaches are left in a mess with trash and junk left by local beachgoers.

Others argue that Blue Flag-certified beaches, nevertheless, that are managed by companies in the area, are pristine and kept openly accessible to the general public.

DR1, 20.11.08

Photo Los Ojos de Denis - All rights reserved

Wind gusts and cold temperatures on the North-eastern Area

No beach during this weekend in Las Terrenas !

The National Office of Meteorology announces that gusty winds and rains will continue in the coming hours, added to fresh temperatures. A frontal system is almost stationary over the Oriental area of the country.

This phenomenon already caused rains over most of our territory, those having been more frequent on the North-eastern, Northern, North-western, South-eastern and East areas.

The temperatures will continue to be fresh at the national level… The gusty winds could tear off branches, this is why we recommend to the citizens who move in wooded zones, to take measures to avoid accidents, indicates the official organization in a report issued this Friday morning.

The residents of the provinces of Hato Mayor, Samaná, El Seibo, Monte Cristi, Dajabón, Santiago Rodríguez, Valverde, Puerto Plata, La Romana, María Trinidad Sánchez and Duarte (especially inhabitants of Bajo Yuna) must take the necessary measures of precaution to prevent flash floods and mudslides.

The National Office of Meteorology also states that the small and fragile boats must stay at port because of waves from 9 to 11 feet and of winds from 20 to 24 knots.

Al Momento, 21.11.08

Photo Los Ojos de Denis - All rights reserved

Free times for alcohol drinks sales during the Festive Season

From December 22 to January 2

The secretary of Interior and Police declared that this ministry will drop the measure which imposes a time limitation to places selling alcoholic drinks, from December 22 to January 2.

Franklin Almeyda Rancier declared that this measure will be lifted as every year during the Christmas times so that the population can enjoy the Festive Season and the New Year party.

Almeyda Rancier however announced that in the restaurants and the discotheques, breathalyzer tests will be performed to people who are driving as prevention measure of traffic accidents.

The civil servant offered this information at the time of an interview during the TV « Encuentro Extra » of Christian Jiménez, retransmitted on Sunday from 7:00 to 8:00 a.m. on channel 9 of Color Visión.

He expressed that as last year, the authorities chosen to lift the schedules limitations for the Festive Season period.

He also indicated that it was the interest of the authorities to guarantee the most peaceful Christmas and that for that, the restriction of the wearing of firearms will be imposed to the population.

A police extension of 10.000 agents patrolling in the streets was also confirmed.

El Nuevo Diario, 24.11.08

Asonahores proposes to regulate the real tourist sector

Long-term partners for the country

The president of the National Association of Hotels and Restaurants, Haydée Raineri, pled for the regulation and the organization of the real tourist sector, with an aim of strengthening it and to adapt it to the international regulations.

She explained that the development of this type of tourism would boost the economy, through the purchases, sales and rental.

She indicated that the advantages received thanks to traditional tourism can be wide with the real estate tourist market, because all those who acquire a second housing become long-term partners for the country.

She stressed that in each house or apartment of a foreigner, it was necessary to hire personnel of cleaning, maintenance and kitchen, that foreign people consumed food, water, energy and all kinds of national and imported products.

Moreover, these people go to restaurant, entertainments centers, beauty studios, pharmacies, hospitals, stores, etc.. they are assiduous visitors who contribute to the national economy affirmed Mrs Raineri.

Other benefit she mentioned was the economy of construction with employment for thousands engineers, architects, decorators, plumbers, electricians, cabinetmakers, carpenters and workmen. As well as the generation of receipts for the producers and the importers, for the storekeepers, the tradesmen and the industrialists, among other.

The president of Asonahores announced that regarding tourism, including real tourism, one was in competition with an international environment and the advantages and the disadvantages that this involves in the case of real tourism, is that one needed to adapt the country to the international standards and to offer products with adequate infrastructures, human resources and environments, and with the security standards.

She said that the country was developing, in spite of the difficulties, obsolescence of the system and the changes in the game rules, but that is the right moment to apply the necessary corrections to accelerate and facilitate the development of the projects.

We must renew and modernize us, to facilitate the investment, to optimize and consolidate the processes because the tourism and the acquisition of a building in a foreign country, is a long-term investment and the policies and the rules must also be applied in the long term expressed Haydée Rainieri.

She announced that it was necessary to be careful to don’t lose the competitive advantages which has the Dominican Republic compared to other countries and which had to be worked to improve the offer, while keeping in memory that the standards and the rules are conceived to organize and discipline and not to prevent nor to complicate.

Diario Digital, 25.11.08

Tourism woes

But DR still has a 2.7% arrival increase

Though the DR economy has yet to feel the full impact of the global financial crisis, the tourism sector is slowly feeling the effects of the lack of free flowing cash.

Listin Diario reports that while tourism was up 6% during the first half of the year, since July both foreign and non-resident Dominican arrivals have declined every month.

The DR still has a 2.7% arrival increase when comparing January - October 2007 and January - October 2008, but the slow decline is causing concern.

The secondary worry is that these arrivals were booked before the fall season crunch that began in September.

DR1, 26.11.08

The roads of the tourist Poles will be repaired

Beginning of work as of the next week

BREAKING NEWS: The Minister of Tourism said that work will be carried out jointly with the Public Work Ministry and that as of the next week; the Government would begin the construction and the repair of all the roads of the tourist poles of the country.

This announcement was made by the Minister of Tourism, Francisco Javier García.

He informed that according to the instructions of President Leonel Fernández, one would repair the access ways going to the hotels so that the tourists and the drivers can move adequately.

García also explained that this measure belonged to the concern of the Government to answer the requests of the company managers of the tourist sector in order to contribute to its reinforcement.

He advanced that more than 10 billion dollars will be invested during the next years in the tourist sector and that the Government was committed supporting the investment in this activity.

He said that since he took his new responsibilities as Minister, President Fernández asked him to offer support and facilities to the tourist investment in the country.

García said that the Government will continue to support the initiatives of the sector and will contribute to its reinforcement.

The Government announced the inauguration of the road Samaná - Santo Domingo for the first week of December and the construction of the road which will link this zone with other places of the northern area of the country, like Las Terrenas where they will also build an aqueduct.

Diario Libre, by Florentino Durán, 28.11.08