With three days to go until the new government led by Luis Abinader takes office for the 2020-2024 term, expectations are growing regarding the plans that will be implemented to lead the nation.
What measures will the new authorities take to boost the electricity sector, facilitate trade in the Dominican Republic, guarantee the investment climate, drive digital transformation, and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)?
Last May, when he was a presidential candidate for the Modern Revolutionary Party (PRM), Abinader addressed the positions he would take in his administration during the "2020 Candidate Cycle," organized by the American Chamber of Commerce of the Dominican Republic. In this regard, he responded to questions from the chairs of the Energy Committee, Rafael Velazco; Trade Facilitation, Alexander Schad; Sustainability, Josefina Navarro; Legal Affairs, María Ester Fernández de Pou; and ICT, María Waleska Álvarez.
Abinader's Position on the Electricity Sector
Reliable energy, 24 hours a day, at competitive prices is the PRM candidate's proposal for the energy sector in a potential administration.
He criticized the fact that, to date, the true costs the government has invested in the Punta Catalina Thermoelectric Plant are unknown. However, he favored keeping the coal-fired plant in government hands, believing it would reduce prices for end consumers.
Abinader affirmed that he would work to reduce the enormous losses of distributors, which he described as the serious problem facing the electricity sector. They amounted to $1.3 billion in 2019 and constitute one of the main deficits in the public sector.
His vision on Trade Facilitation
Luis Abinader plans to work together with the private sector to streamline and facilitate foreign trade in the Dominican Republic, as he believes this is key to creating more jobs and new businesses, and positioning the country as a regional logistics hub.
"We will work with the private sector to establish a single trade facilitation platform. We will also seek to implement a regulatory guillotine, reducing unnecessary regulations and steps in the processes." he said.
When asked about his position on Free Trade Agreements, Abinader believes it is important to work much more internally to train and streamline the national productive apparatus before entering into new agreements.
What plans does the Abinader government have regarding sustainability?
For Luis Abinader, before the COVID-19 crisis broke out, the country was behind in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) because the necessary resources were not being allocated. He favors that at the end of the pandemic, the UN take measures to ensure the SDGs can be achieved.
He asserts that he is committed to achieving the SDGs and is committed to allocating the resources and human capital necessary for their fulfillment, as these are part of the public policy framework he will implement during his administration.
He called for the public and private sectors to join forces to build what he calls "a national plan," because the SDGs should not be the responsibility of one government, but rather a task for the entire country. "Without the participation of business leaders, civil society, and other sectors, we will not achieve this."
Abinader's plans for the Investment Climate
Luis Abinader clearly stated that investors will go where their investment is secure and where they have legal certainty. This underpins his administration's plans to strengthen the investment climate, which he said would be supported by changes to the justice system to ensure transparency and honesty, the allocation of necessary resources, and a Public Ministry independent of political decisions.
He revealed that he will seek to create incentives to maintain the same regulatory framework and ensure investors have the certainty that the rules of the game will not change. He also spoke of the importance of maintaining political and social stability to facilitate investment.
"With institutional strengthening, improvements in the labor sector, and improvements in aspects that affect competitiveness, we will create a country where foreign investors will be much more interested in investing.", he pointed out.
What is your position on ICT and digital transformation?
The PRD presidential candidate asserted that his administration will prioritize the digital transformation of society, in business, in education, and in the general daily lives of Dominicans.
"We cannot allow a new invisible wall to be built between those who have access to broadband and those who have the necessary skills to use the technology, and those who don't. No one can be left behind; we will not tolerate a new form of social segregation.", he assured.
In his opinion, if the country doesn't keep pace with the advancements in Information and Communication Technologies, true development will not be achieved, and the Dominican Republic will lag behind in terms of competitiveness and efficiency.
