The agreements reached after the meeting of Kamala Harris and Abinader in Washington

The Vice President of the United States, Kamala Harris, held a meeting last week with President Luis Abinader and other Caribbean leaders, in which they discussed “concrete short-term solutions” in three areas that they have worked on since the first call in April Harris noted: energy security, finance and food security.

Regarding the last point, Harris assured that he will send a team to the Caribbean this fall (from September 23), to start the process of financing for development, which he pointed out, was a “subject of extensive debates in our previous meetings”. To contribute to food security in the Caribbean, affected by the war in Ukraine, the pandemic and the climate crisis as in the rest of the world, the United States has “committed to allocate USD 28 million in assistance,” Harris declared.

As well as the implementation of “good agricultural practices” and the commitment to improve these practices in the Caribbean countries and promote the elimination of barriers not corresponding to tariffs in order to “facilitate the movement of food in the region”, the vice president stated.

“In this sense the United States assumes commitments in four areas in particular. First, to identify new clean energy projects; provide technical assistance to our partners in the Caribbean; attract investors to the Caribbean; and improve access to financing for development.” the vice president continued.

Harris said that the actions of energy security and finances are oriented to the climate crisis, in view of which the first measure that the country will adopt is to accelerate the implementation of the “Association between the United States and the Caribbean to address the Climate Crisis, also known as as PACC 2030”, which he presented at the Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles.

Among the measures that the United States government will seek to implement in the region to guarantee food for the population, they also foresee the incorporation of “intelligent technology with respect to the climate” for the protection of food products and the production system of themselves.

 They will also provide training in pest control management.

“The relationship between the United States and the Caribbean is based on ties and common interests. As neighbors in the Western Hemisphere, we believe that it is essential that we have a relationship based on close collaboration, knowing that this will benefit our shared prosperity and security, which is why we, the United States, have expressed our determination to increase our commitment and collaboration with our Caribbean partners”, emphasized Biden’s partner.

Puerto Plata Highway is Blocked by Fiona Aftermath

As a result of Hurricane Fiona, traffic on the Puerto Plata tourist highway has been hampered since the early hours of this Tuesday. The trees that fell due to the strong winds of the natural phenomenon have paralyzed traffic from Puerto Plata until about The Summit, in Santiago de los Caballeros.

Brigades from the Ministry of Public Works, the city council, and members of the relief agencies headed by the Civil Defense collaborate to make traffic in the area viable. These organizations work to collect the debris left behind by Hurricane Fiona, with the aim of restoring traffic in the affected areas. During the night and early morning of Monday, Fiona caused trees to fall in different parts of the province and in the main municipality.

Currently, the reports issued by the Directorate of the Emergency Operations Center (COE), keep Puerto Plata on yellow alert.

This time tourism was better able to weather the hurricane

The Dominican tourism sector was able to face good conditions during the passage of Hurricane Fiona through the country, suffering only minimal damage to infrastructure and vegetation.

Representatives of the sector agreed to emphasize that the situation in hotel facilities is under control and operating on the basis of risk prevention protocols carried out by the hotels.

“The vast majority of hotel rooms are operating, and the damage to infrastructure was minimal in most hotels. However, the main impact was seen in light structures on the beaches and with fallen trees and bushes,” assured the president of Asonahores, Rafael Blanco Tejera, yesterday.

Ernesto Veloz, president of the Association of Hotels and Tourist Projects of the East (Asoleste), reported the impact of the strong winds and rains. Still, the situation is under control, with greater damage to the infrastructure facing the sea, such as restaurants, kiosks, docks, and rooms facing the sea.

Likewise, the Punta Cana International Airport, which had suspended its operations, communicated that it has resumed operations since yesterday at noon and that the airlines are operating with the arrival and departure of passengers.

The airport’s statement said that they would continue to work for hand in hand with the Dominican Civil Aviation Institute (IDAC) and the Emergency Operations Center (COE), taking the necessary precautions and following international aviation safety protocols to ensure the safety of passengers and the entire airport community.

COE Report
Hotel infrastructures in the eastern zone, especially in the province of La Altagracia, were affected by the passage of Hurricane Fiona, houses, restaurants in the beach area, and the suspension of electric service.

The most affected areas are Cabeza de Toro, Villa Playboy, Verón, and Macao, according to Bruno Benítez, Head of the Department of Risk and Disaster Management and coordinator of the Emergency Operations Center (COE) for the Verón-Punta Cana area.

Benítez said three houses had been destroyed as of midday yesterday, and 400 were affected.
He further reported rescue teams had been deployed in Macao because the Maimon river had overflowed.

He said that there was no flooding.

Fiona hits the East and Samaná, affects agriculture and energy

Flooded communities, houses without roofs, broken bridges, destroyed and blocked roads, downed trees, and 60% of the power lines deteriorated in La Altagracia due to the passage of Hurricane Fiona in the East and Cibao. This province El Seibo, Hato Mayor, and Samaná were the hardest hit areas.

The Punta Cana-Macao Energy Consortium (CEPM) released the figures for the damages to the system.

The Ministry of Agriculture reported that agricultural production suffered severe damage, which is being evaluated. The winds and floods affected cattle farms, banana plantations, cassava, cocoa, rice, vegetables, and fruit trees.

Fiona’s tear
According to the Emergency Operations Committee, Fiona struck the East at 3:05 a.m. It entered through Cabo San Rafael, with 140 kilometers per hour winds.

Authorities indicate that in La Altagracia, 40 to 50% of the power poles were blown to the ground, blocking streets. Ninety percent of commercial signs and billboards were destroyed. The most vulnerable areas were flooded.

Senator Virgilio Cedano said that during one of his tours, he observed that the damages were substantial and that it was almost impossible to move along the streets and roads due to a large amount of debris.

“We are proceeding to make the formal survey of the damages as far as the situation allows us. We cannot pass the bridges to reach the neighborhoods, because the river is very high, and with so much water, the bridges are weakened,” said the legislator.

In Higüey, panic attacked the residents of vulnerable neighborhoods, such as Antonio Guzmán, La Florida, Las Cucarachas, Los Soto Bajo, Villa Cerro, and Pepe Rosario, due to the flooding of the Duey and Quisibaní Rivers, which surround the areas.

In El Seibo province, the situation was very similar. Fiona was raging against the wooden houses with zinc roofs, some of which had been lifted by the winds. People cried out, unprotected, seeing their belongings damaged. “We have many roofless houses, trees on the ground and much of the power line,” said Senator Santiago Zorrilla. Nevertheless, he said that there were no human losses.

In Miches, the Yeguada river entered the town. Civil Defense had to work hard to get people out of their homes to avoid tragedies. The most impacted areas were Santa Cruz de El Seibo, El Cedro, and its surrounding areas.

In Samaná, Fiona left a catastrophe, according to its people. “The winds have done serious damage to property, there are homeless people, many are in shelters. We prepared a contingency plan to help the victims,” described Senator Venerado Castillo.

The downpours flooded the municipality of Santa Bárbara, the municipal district of El Limón, Las Galeras, and Las Terrenas, northeast of Samaná.

Early in the morning, the intensity of the rains kept the currents of the Maguá river and the Paña-Paña stream swollen. Rescue agencies made efforts to save citizens in danger.

Castillo affirmed that many houses and the electricity poles were affected, and many victims were in shelters and relatives’ homes.

Regarding the state of the highways and roads, he indicated that the stretches of Hato Mayor-San Pedro; Hato Mayor-Sabana de la Mar were cut off.

Locals reported that electric power service was suspended in its entirety in Hato Mayor. In addition, businesses were affected by the wind gusts, which destroyed their windows.

Congressman Saury Mota asked President Luis Abinader to declare a state of emergency in the province. “Among the most affected sectors are the neighborhoods of the northern zone, Los Multis, Sabana,Hatillo, Gualey, Parque Central. The rains have caused the electrical service to be badly affected, and homes destroyed and flooded, and many people have left their homes,” said Mota.

The congressmen agreed that the most important thing was to rescue and attend to all people in need of emergency services, supply them with drinking water and food in the shelters, help those displaced to other homes, and then enter the phase of repairing homes and rebuilding destroyed houses together with the central government.

Three airports remain out of service, Punta Cana airport resumes operations

Santo Domingo, DR
The interim director of the Dominican Civil Aviation Institute (IDAC), Héctor Porcella, informed that the Punta Cana International Airport resumed its flight operations after it was closed on Sunday night due to the passage of Hurricane Fiona.

Porcella said that the resumption of flight operations through the referred terminal occurred at noon with the arrival of an international flight.

“As for flight operations through Punta Cana International Airport, everything has already returned to normal with the reopening of international commercial flights,” Porcella assured.

He also clarified that flight and passenger operations through the José Francisco Peña Gómez Las Américas International Airport (AILA) remain normal.

“Right now they are operating without problem the International Airport of Las Americas, Jose Francisco Pena Gomez, which has never stopped operating. And now Punta Cana which resumed its flights at noon this Monday,” expressed the interim general director of the IDAC.

Operations at the Punta Cana airport were suspended on Sunday night with the terminal’s closure on the recommendation of the IDAC due to the impact of Hurricane Fiona, category 1, which affected the East and Northeast regions of the country.

The airports Catey, Professor Juan Bosch, of Samaná; the International airport of La Romana, and Arroyo Barril, of Samaná, are still closed.

Porcella explained that as the effects of the natural phenomenon diminish, the other closed terminals could be reopened in the next few hours.

Center of Fiona is in the Atlantic; vigilance urged for possible coastal penetrations

The National Meteorological Office (Onamet) informed this Monday that after 1:00 pm today, the center of hurricane Fiona was located over Atlantic waters very close to the coast of the municipality of Las Terrenas Samaná.

The institution said that the swell would continue to be abnormal, especially on the north coast, northeast, and southeast points, expecting wave heights between 10 to 14 feet with higher breakers, reaching up to 18 feet.

“We must also be vigilant for the possibility of coastal penetrations of the sea at low points,” he said.

The Onamet maintains a hurricane warning from Punta Caucedo to Cabo Francés Viejo, a hurricane warning from Cabo Francés Viejo to Puerto Plata, and a tropical storm warning from the Barahona peninsula to Punta Caucedo.

Location
“At 1:00 p.m., Hurricane Fiona was located near latitude 19.4 north and longitude 69.3 west, its center over Atlantic waters very close to the coast of the municipality of Las Terrenas Samaná. The phenomenon has maximum sustained winds of 140 kilometers per hour with higher gusts,” he explained.

The Onamet said that the hurricane-intensity winds extend to about 45 kilometers and storm-intensity winds to about 240 kilometers. Fiona is moving northwest at about 13 kilometers per hour.

Forecast for this afternoon
During the course of the afternoon hours, the cloud bands distributed over a large part of the national territory will be approaching from the south and north, causing rains that can be moderate to locally heavy with frequent gusts of wind of tropical storm or hurricane intensity.

The Onamet explained that in the border area and the southwest, the rains are expected to be less intense compared to other areas of greater affectation, however, showers with thunderstorms and isolated wind gusts are expected.

Paliza: President to declare tomorrow Monday as non-working day due to Hurricane Fiona

President Abinader postpones his trip to wait for the passage of hurricane Fiona.

The administrative minister of the Presidency of the Republic, José Ignacio Paliza, announced that President Luis Abinader would declare this Monday as a non-working day due to the passage of hurricane Fiona through the national territory. Likewise, the official declared that the president postponed his trip to the United Nations General Assembly next Tuesday, which was scheduled for this Monday.

Meanwhile, the director of the Emergency Operations Center (COE), Juan Manuel Méndez, and the other authorities of the civil protection organizations revealed that the phenomenon Fiona is at the moment 240 kilometers away from Saona Island with a translation speed of 13 kilometers per hour.

In addition, they said that Fiona reached category 1 with winds of 130 kilometers per hour and 20 kilometers in the interior of the area that will begin to be felt directly in the early hours of Monday morning; however, the rains and winds of the phenomenon are already being felt in the northeastern, eastern and southeastern regions of the country.

In addition, the authorities indicated that the whole country is still under meteorological alert due to the passage of hurricane Fiona.

The director of the Emergency Operations Center (COE), Juan Manuel Méndez, instructed this Sunday the civil protection, relief, and rescue organizations to carry out mandatory evacuations in vulnerable areas of the provinces under red and yellow alert due to the passage of storm Fiona which is expected to arrive this Sunday to the territory of Puerto Rico and to reach the Dominican Republic by the early hours of Monday morning.

On Tuesday, our territory will continue to be quite humid and unstable due to the cloudiness associated with tropical storm Fiona. Showers, thunderstorms, and wind gusts are forecast, especially over the north, northeast, northwest, southeast, southwest, and Central Cordillera regions.

Hurricane Fiona is felt in several parts of the country

Santo Domingo, DR
Since the middle of this past Sunday, Hurricane Fiona began to have an impact on the deterioration of weather conditions in the Dominican territory with rains and wind gusts that increased as the hours went by.

Although the eastern zone has been the one that has registered the greatest presence of these conditions, the characteristics have been repeated in different points of the country.

In view of the consequences of this phenomenon, state and municipal measures have been adopted to preserve lives and avoid risky situations, among them, the declaration of a non-working day for this Monday.

The Executive Power’s decision includes the suspension of public and private work throughout the country. Likewise, the mandatory evacuation of people at risk in the provinces has been issued under red and yellow alerts.

Precisely, these alerts cover more than 20 of the provinces, and the remaining ones remain in green.

According to reports from the National Meteorological Office (Onamet), by Sunday afternoon, Fiona was detected with winds of 130 kilometers per hour, typical of a Category I hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Intensity Scale.

Hurricane-force winds extended about 30 miles (45 km) outward from its center, and storm-force winds extended about 140 miles (220 km).

Evolution of Fiona

Fiona, which began as a tropical depression and is already a hurricane, has presented an “inconsistent” trajectory that has forced the agencies of the Dominican Republic and the entire region to maintain “strict” monitoring. Last Wednesday, the formation of the seventh tropical depression of the current hurricane season was announced.

At that time, the natural phenomenon registered maximum sustained winds of 55 km/h, with higher gusts.

The following day, it was upgraded to a tropical storm just when it was about 935 kilometers east of the Leeward Islands of the Lesser Antilles. Finally, around noon on Sunday, it became the third hurricane of the current hurricane season.

The official identification of the hurricane was confirmed based on the observations of a reconnaissance plane or hurricane hunter and data from the Doppler Radar of Puerto Rico, which were able to detect winds of 130 kph on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane intensity scale.

The hurricane winds extend some 45 km outside its center, and the storm winds extend some 220 km.

According to the projections and if it continues with its same movement, the center of Fiona would be located in the early hours of Monday morning between 10 and 30 kilometers northeast of Cabo Engaño.

For this reason, eastern provinces such as La Altagracia and El Seibo began to feel winds with hurricane and storm intensity at times, and which will gradually spread to other provinces such as Hato Mayor, Monte Plata, Samaná, Sánchez Ramírez, among others.

The Onamet maintains a hurricane warning from Punta Caucedo to Cabo Frances Viejo, a hurricane warning from Cabo Francés Viejo to Puerto Plata, and a tropical storm warning from the Barahona peninsula to Punta Caucedo.

ON POINT

Alert in the country.

The National Meteorological Office maintained last night a hurricane warning from Punta Caucedo to Cabo Frances Viejo, a hurricane warning from Cabo Frances Viejo to Puerto Plata, and a tropical storm warning from the Barahona peninsula to Punta Caucedo…

Onamet increases alert from Punta Palenque to Cabrera due to storm Fiona

Fiona’s heavy rains will hit the Dominican Republic on Sunday.

The National Meteorological Office (Onamet) increased this Friday the early weather alert for possible tropical storm conditions from Punta Palenque (San Cristóbal) to Cabo Engaño (La Altagracia) and from Cabo Engaño to Cabrera (María Trinidad Sánchez).

The previous weather alert issued yesterday afternoon and evening included the area from La Romana to Cabo Engaño and Cabo Engaño to Cabrera.

An early weather warning means that within 72 hours or less, one or two of the three effects of a tropical cyclone are possible in the areas under alert, such as heavy rains, storm force winds, and abnormal surf.

Alerts
The Emergency Operations Center (COE) issued an early green alert for four provinces given the possible incidence of tropical storm Fiona in the Dominican territory.

The provinces on green alert are Samaná, La Romana, La Altagracia, and María Trinidad Sánchez.

Fiona’s Trajectory
Fiona is located this Friday morning, about 425 kilometers east/southeast of the Leeward Islands (Lesser Antilles). Its maximum sustained winds are 85 kilometers per hour with higher gusts, and its current movement is westward at about 24 kilometers per hour.

According to Onamet, slight changes in its intensity are forecast for the next few days as it approaches the Dominican Republic.

Meanwhile, the U.S. National Hurricane Center reported in its Friday bulletin that tropical storm conditions are expected in the Leeward Islands within the warning area for tonight.

Heavy rainfall from Fiona will reach the Leeward Islands tonight, extending to the British and U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico on Saturday, reaching the Dominican Republic on Sunday and the Turks and Caicos Islands on Monday night or Tuesday.

The report indicates that Fiona is expected to move near the island of Hispaniola early next week.

This Friday
The Onamet indicated that this Friday dawns with mostly cloudy skies over locations in the southeast, northeast, and the Central Cordillera, such as in La Altagracia, El Seibo, La Romana, Hato Mayor, Monte Plata, San Pedro de Macorís, Santo Domingo, Samaná, Duarte, Sánchez Ramírez, among others, where the occurrence of local showers, isolated thundershowers and occasional gusts of wind, during the morning and evening hours, a product of the incidence of a trough in the high levels of the troposphere, is also expected.

On the Atlantic Coast, the Onamet recommended that operators of small and fragile boats navigate with caution without venturing out to sea from Cabo Engaño (La Altagracia) to Punta Mangles (Miches) due to abnormal swells.

Arajet makes history: first commercial flight to be launched in Barranquilla

The Dominican low-cost airline Arajet announced the start of its operations with direct flights connecting Santo Domingo with the Colombian cities of Barranquilla and Cali, to which other routes will be added soon.

The first commercial flight in the company’s history, which departed from Las Americas International Airport (AILA), landed at Ernesto Cortissoz Airport in Barranquilla, the main city of the Colombian Caribbean, and later at Alfonso Bonilla Aragon, in Cali, the largest city in the southwest, according to a press release from the airline.

“Arajet will also add the historic and emblematic city of Cartagena to its route network on September 18, and later on, Bogotá and Medellín. With these operations Arajet expects to serve five strategic cities in the country directly with Santo Domingo in the coming months,” they add.

Arajet’s president, Víctor Pacheco Méndez, said that the airline’s arrival in Colombia seeks to “strengthen commercial, tourism and cultural ties, as well as to promote economic development opportunities between the two countries.”

“International tourism in Colombia is going through a great moment and the arrival of new international airlines to the country is an indicator of confidence and positioning of our destinations, as well as the attributes associated with nature, culture and biodiversity,” said Gilberto Salcedo, vice-president of Tourism of the state agency ProColombia.

Arajet, which has a fleet of five state-of-the-art Boeing 737 MAX-8 aircraft configured for 185 passengers, expects to reach 20 destinations in 12 countries in the coming months, the information added.

According to the company, in the next few days, it will add new destinations in Peru, Mexico, Salvador, Aruba, St. Maarten, and Guatemala, as well as Toronto and Montreal (Canada).

Tropical depression under strict surveillance

Santo Domingo, DR
With maximum winds of 55 kilometers per hour (35 mph) and a trend of gradual strengthening, the newly formed seventh tropical depression of this 2022 hurricane season is developing. It has attracted the attention of meteorological agencies because of its chances of becoming a storm.

“As of this moment, we are strictly monitoring the movement and evolution of this tropical cyclone,” the National Meteorological Office (Onamet) announced through a report released yesterday afternoon.

Trajectory forecasts indicate that the system will continue to move westward and approach the Caribbean region over the next two days.

Consequently, they foresee a “progressive deterioration” in weather conditions for this weekend associated with the, so far, tropical depression.

Meanwhile, the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) reported that the system is expected to move through the Leeward Islands and near the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico on Friday night.

Humidity and wind

For this Thursday, Onamet forecasts that, although the influence of a drier air mass will remain over the Dominican forecast area, leading to generally sunny weather with limited rainfall activity over much of the country, patches of humidity associated with the wind are expected.

Abinader: open skies agreement with U.S. would be ready in 60 days

President Luis Abinader stated that negotiations for signing an Open Skies agreement with the United States are advanced, a process that could be completed in about 60 days.

“We are discussing the Open Skies agreement with the United States and they are very interested. It is very possible that in 60 days we will be reaching an agreement. We have 90 percent of the points agreed,” Abinader explained that such an agreement would make air operations between the two countries easier.

“What is needed here is competition between airlines and that will help us,” he said.

Abinader met on Sunday with representatives of Dominican airlines, among them the newcomer Arajet. The meeting resulted in the government’s commitment to send to the National Congress a “hub” law, which will allow the establishment of special conditions for those airlines that establish themselves in the country.

“We are going to submit the law to establish the Dominican Republic as an airline hub, that will give us competitiveness,” he said, explaining that Arajet and other groups have expressed their interest in using the country as a regional hub, as Copa does in Panama.

Central Bank governor assures tourism is the “backbone” of recovery

Santo Domingo, DR.
The governor of the Central Bank (BCRD), Héctor Valdez Albizu, specified that foreign exchange earnings from tourism, which reached US$5,759.1 million in January-August 2022, together with the inflow of US$6,518.8 million from remittances in the said period, contribute significantly to maintaining a sustainable balance in the current account of the balance of payments and to maintaining exchange rate stability, an essential element for generating certainty in economic agents.

He added that 31% of foreign direct investment (FDI) in 2021, or some US$960 million, went mainly to the expansion and remodeling of tourism infrastructure, with an expected value of close to US$1 billion for this concept in that sector by the end of 2022.

The governor of the BCRD met with a delegation of the board of directors of the National Association of Hotels and Restaurants (Asonahores), headed by its president Rafael Blanco, in which he emphasized that this sector has made the most significant contribution to the growth of the Dominican economy this year, thus becoming a backbone of the excellent recovery process that the country is experiencing after the pandemic and the effects of the current war in Ukraine.

Tourism activity
Valdez Albizu indicated that the tourism sector contributed 1.8 percentage points in the average expansion of 5.5 % registered by the economy in January-July 2022, one-third of the growth experienced in the first seven months, with an increase in its real added value of 32.9 %.

The governor pointed out that this remarkable performance responds to the arrival of 4,282,207 million travelers in January-July of the current year, for an increase of 1,820,577 passengers (74.0 %) concerning the same period of 2021, highlighting, in particular, the historical record for a month with the arrival of 735,064 tourists in July 2022.

It is noteworthy that this favorable trend was again reflected in the non-resident passengers received in August 2022, reaching the remarkable figure of 621,953 tourists, being the best month of August in the entire statistical series, according to data announced by the Minister of Tourism, David Collado. In this way, 4.9 million non-resident travelers have accumulated in the last eight months of this year.

Asonahores
The directors of Asonahores described as ‘surprising’ the recovery of tourism in the Dominican Republic ‘due, to a great extent, to work carried out by the Government, and more specifically to the strategy developed in all markets by the Ministry of Tourism, headed by David Collado.’

They also highlighted the importance of the monetary measures implemented during the pandemic to offer facilities to the private sector and households through the financial system.

The representatives of the sector stated that foreign investors, especially hoteliers, praised the treatment received in the Dominican Republic by the Government and the credit facilities granted by the Central Bank through the financial system to support the sector in difficult times.

Governor Valdez Albizu recalled that, through the measures established by the Monetary Board, US$600 million in financial resources were made available at an interest rate of up to 8% for the tourism sector, which was a great help for the maintenance of its businesses and the preservation of jobs.

Valdez Albizu pointed out that preliminary estimates of the National Continuous Labor Force Survey (ENCFT) for the April – June 2022 quarter showed that the total number of employed persons in the economic activity of hotels, bars, and restaurants reached 363,334 persons, a level higher than the 300,996 net employed persons of the same period of 2021.

Hoteliers
Representatives of the sector stated that foreign investors, especially hoteliers, praise the treatment received in the DR by the Government and the credit facilities granted by the BCRD.

Construction material prices must reflect reality

President of Codia says that price speculation must be avoided and calls on Proconsumidor to play its role.
Leaders of the construction sector advocate that the local prices of construction materials should be sincere and by the reductions that these inputs are having at the international level, so that they are reflected in the final costs of the houses or projects.

Cristian Rojas, president of the Dominican College of Engineers, Architects, and Surveyors (CODIA), said that the entity will evaluate these prices and if they correspond to reality. However, exogenous factors influence such as freight and oil costs.

He said that this reduction in inputs arose last week, among them the rebar, which dropped 11.7%, will not be reflected immediately in the final costs because there are housing units that are already being built with the old price of steel, so the new houses that begin to be built now will have a reduction.

We invite you to read: Price of rebar dropped 11.72%, Iglesias reports.
“All price reductions should be reflected in the domestic market and avoid price speculation. And in this Proconsumidor must play an important role and adjust these prices to reality,” he warned.

Meanwhile, Teodoro Tejada, former president of Codia, affirmed that the price decrease of the bundle of sticks is derisory and should have dropped RD$20,000 and is still overpriced, given that the November 2020 price already had intrinsic the high freight costs and the dollar rate. He pointed out that a bundle of rods is 22.25 quintals of rods.

He explained that in December 2019, the cost of a bundle of rods was RD$19 thousand, stressing that in November 2020, a bundle of rods cost RD$57,850, and now in September 2022, that price was RD$82 thousand pesos and went down to RD$75 thousand.

While freight went up from US$2,500 before the pandemic in February 2020 to RD$14,000 and up to RD$18,000 a month in September 2020. “And now it dropped considerably to between 8 to 12 thousand dollars and the dollar rate has decreased 5 points, therefore the price of tied rod that had risen from November 2020 to the month of August 2022 an alarming figure of RD$34,150, the fact of lowering RD$7 thousand is an absurdity,” he said.

Real estate experts say that the time to invest is now

Santo Domingo, DR.
Despite the uncertainty created by the post-pandemic stage with its inflationary wave and the recessionary trend of the economy, the real estate sector struggles to maintain its dynamism by creating new proposals for investors of any income level.

According to experts, as in other economic sectors, there is a before and an after Covid-19; however, they do not hesitate to affirm that “the time to invest is now.”

“The time to do it is now, no matter the rise and instability you feel,” says Eduardo Navarro, expert and real estate advisor of the company Mr. Home, who says that there are “extraordinary changes in the projects that are being developed in the country.”

“We had seen an extraordinary change in the projects that are being developed since they involve a new mentality in projects that before were residential, now we have a great diversity, family products, family and investment products that coexist together and investment products only but that bring new variables,” says Navarro, consulted by Listín Diario.

The expert affirms that it is interesting to visualize how new real estate proposals are being developed thanks to technology, security, coexistence policies, and market studies. The new residential and investment products have areas of coffee, laundry, restaurants, coworking, commercial premises, hotel, children, and social areas with swimming pools, jacuzzis, sauna, gymnasium, cinema, and basketball court, among others.

Navarro agrees with Gisselle Ventura, advisor of the company Oferta Inmobiliaria RD, who explains that the economic stability that the country has had in recent years and the facilities offered by the State have favored those who are interested in acquiring housing, either to live or to invest.

“There will always be a risk factor when making the decision (…) but what we do know is that prices are increasing,” said Ventura, emphasizing that the money invested in real estate is always profitable because everyday real estate acquires more value.

He said digital platforms, such as AIR BNB, have generated a great interest in dual-use housing projects. Currently, there is an “explosion” of projects, especially in tourist communities and metropolitan areas.

He pointed out that the current trend of developers is very marked in projects of one- or two-bedroom apartments for second homes and villas in areas with high tourist potential.

Construction is on the rise.
Although at the end of last week, a decrease in the prices of some construction materials began to be felt, the truth is that since the middle of 2021, the construction cost of real estate construction has increased considerably.

According to the expert Gisselle Ventura, the construction meter, both for low-cost housing and other real estate projects, has increased between 35 and 40%, which people corroborate consulted who indicate that an apartment in low-cost projects, which a few years ago cost RD$2.4 million today cannot be obtained for less than RD$3.5 or RD$3.9 million.

However, Navarro estimates that the price of real estate is becoming more and more regularized and that contracts are stipulated with clear formulas to ensure the success of the projects for the developer, the investor, and the country.

Recommendation
A recommendation that Navarro and Ventura also agree on is that when deciding to invest in real estate, seek the advice of experts, who will help you define the best opportunity based on the purposes, amounts to invest, and the offer presented by the real estate market.

Innovative offers
Eduardo Navarro, the real estate advisor of the company Mr. Home, highlights the innovative offer of projects such as:

Murales
Conceptualizes a mixed vocation project with commercial, corporate, and residential components in a 41,500 m2 block located in Gazcue.

World Trade Center Santo Domingo
This will be a mixed-use complex, comprising what is now BlueMall Santo Domingo, JW Marriott Santo Domingo, and Torre Empresarial BlueMall, and new buildings that will consist of two business towers under the WTC brand and two apartment-hotel towers.

The arrival of flights does not coincide with Collado’s forecasts

The aeronautical operations are not coinciding with the forecasts of the Minister of Tourism. On the contrary, the performance in August has been lower than David Collado’s predictions. And the arrivals of flights in these days of September only confirms a downward trend.

The figures do not deceive; they have no ideology. They are what they are, and that’s that. The official said that we would have the best August in history, and the data contradicts him. Playing with figures according to convenience usually has a “boomerang” effect.

And that is what is happening; the data is turning against Minister Collado. So you must be careful with these things, selling occupancies that do not match reality. Just look at the flight arrivals at the airports.

Month after month, the official has been presenting at the Ambassador Hotel the benefits of the high occupancy increase in flights. And that is a strategic error because not every month tourism would go from increase to increase.

That is why Collado and the Government have resorted to the global computation of tourist arrivals so far this year to emphasize the excellent fortune of tourism in the DR. A very favorable situation but with a downward trend if compared with the forecasts made by the Mitur.

There is no need for the minister’s monthly self-promotion at the Hotel El Embajador, although it should not surprise us because politicians are permanently campaigning. Business people and executives know this and should be made to see that they cannot play with their food.

The union between the Government and the tourism business world is exemplary, which does not happen in Mexico or Spain. The year, I insist, will be very good, but everything is in its place.

Announced flights between Santiago de los Caballeros and Madrid, Spain

The Cibao International Airport, Grupo Consolidador Aéreo y Mayorista de Viajes VDT and the Plus Ultra airline announced for next December flights from Madrid, Spain, to Santiago de los Caballeros.

The operations will be carried out between the Adolfo Suarez terminal of the European country and Cibao.

According to what was explained, the companies are planning two special departures in December, with the intention of a weekly frequency.

Félix M. García, president of the Board of Directors of the air terminal, thanked the executives of the Plus Ultra airline for their confidence. He assures that this is an excellent boost for the Dominican community in Spain and all of Europe and tourism in the north of the Dominican Republic.

Ultra and Grupo VDT have joined forces to offer the Dominican diaspora to Santiago de los Caballeros for the first time in history. With the operation, Grupo VDT and Plus Ultra reinforce their commitment to connect the Dominican Republic further and join forces to open a new destination.

Both the CEOS of Grupo VDT and the management of Plus Ultra are happy to be the first to launch this destination and to bring to all Dominicans in Europe the possibility of arriving directly from Madrid to Santiago.”

The sale is already available through the platforms of Grupo VDT – Consolidador Aéreo.

Dominican Republic boosts shopping tourism with tax refunds

The Senate of the Republic approved on second reading the bill on the Refund of the Tax on the Transfer of Industrialized Goods and Services (ITBIS) to foreign tourists, thus promoting the country as a tourist shopping destination and making it more competitive.

According to the bill, the piece of legislation will stimulate and increase the consumption by tourists of products made in the Dominican Republic since the tourism sector is one of the sectors with the greatest potential in the country.

The regulation, presented by the vice-president of the Senate, Santiago Zorrilla, aims to refund ITBIS to foreign tourists and non-residents in the country who make purchases of nationally produced or imported goods and to establish sanctions for those who falsify information for such refunds.

Likewise, the Senate approved on second reading the bill of Incentive to the Nautical Tourism of Recreation, an initiative of senators Alexis Victoria (María Trinidad Sánchez) and Ginnette Bournigal (Puerto Plata).

The legislative piece aims to promote nautical tourism through the regulation of navigation in boats and nautical devices that, for recreational, private, commercial, and sporting purposes, are carried out in waters under national jurisdiction; it also includes aspects related to the registration, construction, and repair of vessels, as well as the promotion and incentives related to this activity.

During the legislative work, the bill that declares San Cristóbal as an Ecotourism Province, proposed by Senator Franklin Rodríguez, was also approved in the second reading. The purpose of the bill is to promote the conservation and sustainable use of natural resources and the promotion of cultural manifestations for the benefit of the economic and social development of San Cristóbal.

In the Dominican Republic, the beer market represents nearly 3% of GDP

Santo Domingo, DR.

Having a beer at a party, a cookout, a stadium, or a grocery store not only means toasting good times but also boosts local economies worldwide.

This is confirmed by the 2022 report, “Global Economic Footprint of Beer,” prepared by Oxford Economics on behalf of the Worldwide Brewing Alliance (WBA), which studied for the first time the global economic impact of the beer industry.

The report demonstrates the strong contribution of beer to global gross domestic product (GDP), job creation, and tax collection, a trend that is also reflected in the Dominican economy.

As part of the main conclusions of the Oxford Economics study, which uses data prior to the 2019 pandemic, beer production and distribution contributed US$555 billion to global GDP, a contribution that also translates into economic benefits for local communities, creating a value chain that stretches from farmers to shippers, small retailers, customers, restaurants, bars, and hospitality industry establishments.

This impressive global impact is reflected in the Dominican Republic. According to local data, beer consumption represents 2.7% of GDP. This translates into a positive impact on the economy, the value chain, and especially on small businesses such as grocery stores.

The economic boost of the brewing industry is also reflected in its ability to generate jobs. The Oxford Economics report highlights that this industry generated more than 23 million jobs internationally (1 out of every 110 jobs in the world).

Taking it to the local level, it is estimated that the production and marketing of beer in the Dominican Republic generates more than 130,000 jobs throughout the value chain.

Passenger boom in the AILA: 500 weekly flights on average

The Las Americas International Airport (AILA) is registering a significant increase in passengers, surpassing even its pre-pandemic number of operations, with an average of 500 flights per week at the country’s second-largest airport terminal.

According to statistical data provided by the Flight Operations Department of Aeropuertos Dominicanos Siglo XXI (Aerodom), during the week of August 21-28, 492 operations were registered.

The same data obtained indicate that more than 65% of the flights came from cities in the United States, such as New York, Boston, New Jersey, Miami, San Juan, Puerto Rico, Philadelphia, and Fort Lauderdale.

Regarding the level of passengers mobilized, the data indicates that they arrived with an occupancy factor of more than 95%.

During the summer season, the movement of flights and passengers through the AILA has increased considerably after eliminating the sanitary controls established in the airports and airplanes against Covid-19.

Among the airlines operating these flights from the terminal are American Airlines, Copa Airlines, United Airlines, Delta, JetBlue Airways, Swiss International Air Lines, Spirit Airlines, Air Red, and other airlines.

While those that operate the route from the airport terminal to European countries include Iberia, Air France, Air Europa, and various airlines that operate charter flights.

Aerodom also operates the international airports Gregorio Luperón in Puerto Plata, President Juan Bosch in Samaná and Joaquín Balaguer in Santo Domingo Norte.