Free zones complain of bad electric service
Amílcar Nivar
SANTO DOMINGO. Although the free zone sector grew by 3.9% during the first quarter of 2014, and has been growing constantly for the last three years, the president of the Dominican Association of Free Zones, Aquiles Bermudez, said yesterday that the difficulties of the Dominican electricity sector continue to represent a problem for the companies of the association.
"For us it is a problem, as we have said lately, the electricity is one of the elements of production and if we do not turn towards having energy at competitive prices, competitive quality energy, because you have to have stable voltage and constant electricity which is there when you need to use it, the Dominican Republic cannot be a competitive country and be able to increase it exports and able to offer quality products to the population," he explained.
He pointed out that electricity is a serious issue that the country should deal with by having the government and the private sector working together.
"The government has to put down the rules, and they should be clear, and say that whoever consumes energy has to pay for it, because if they do not there will be another group that will have to pay for this energy and if not the government is going to have to subsidize the energy and this is something we see with the government having to spend US$1.2 billion and US$1.3 billion a year and this money could go into infrastructure and improve the quality of life of the people," he said.
Bermudez offered these statements after taking part in the signing of an agreement between seven institutions to strengthen the model of prevention of gender violence applied in the free Zones of the Dominican Republic.
"For us it is a problem, as we have said lately, the electricity is one of the elements of production and if we do not turn towards having energy at competitive prices, competitive quality energy, because you have to have stable voltage and constant electricity which is there when you need to use it, the Dominican Republic cannot be a competitive country and be able to increase it exports and able to offer quality products to the population," he explained.
He pointed out that electricity is a serious issue that the country should deal with by having the government and the private sector working together.
"The government has to put down the rules, and they should be clear, and say that whoever consumes energy has to pay for it, because if they do not there will be another group that will have to pay for this energy and if not the government is going to have to subsidize the energy and this is something we see with the government having to spend US$1.2 billion and US$1.3 billion a year and this money could go into infrastructure and improve the quality of life of the people," he said.
Bermudez offered these statements after taking part in the signing of an agreement between seven institutions to strengthen the model of prevention of gender violence applied in the free Zones of the Dominican Republic.
Amílcar Nivar
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