#2825: HT/DR free zone (fwd)

[Robert Corbett <bcorbett@netcom.com>]

From: Yacine Khelladi <yacine@aacr.net>

source: DR1 Daily News  Monday, 13 March 2000
> 
> 2. President Fernández announces construction of frontier free zones
> President Leonel Fernández announced the construction of a free zone industrial parks on the frontier with Haiti. "If we build these parks on the frontier, Haitians will be able to come to work in the morning, and return to Haiti once their shift is over," he said. It is expected that urban communities will sprout in Haiti near the free zone industries. One of the DR’s biggest problems is dealing with the large numbers of illiterate and indigent Haitians that cross over seeking to make the living they can’t in Haiti. The DR will also benefit from Haitians having buying power to purchase Dominican goods.
> President Fernández said the frontier parks would emulate the US-Mexico frontier model. He said the free zones will be installed in the DR, because this country offers the needed political stability and business climate.
> President Fernández says that the construction of the parks has the support of the governments of France and the United States. He said that it is a way to contribute to the development of Haiti with investments, not donations that governments find difficult in justifying to their taxpayers.
> President Fernandez said that French President Jacques Chirac offered his support for the project during conversations in Guadeloupe on Friday. As a result of meetings of President Fernández with Deputy Secretary of State for Interamerican Affairs, Peter Romero, a mission is expected soon to study the US involvement in the frontier free zone park.
>  "We cannot wait for gifts or donations, because that is not going to happen, and obviously, we prefer the free zones," he said.
> The Dominican government has been the strongest advocate for Haitian development in international forums.
> President Fernández was in Guadeloupe to participate in the France-Cariforum summit that took place on Friday and Saturday.
> The Dominican government is proposing, along with the Haitian government, that foreign governments help implement US$283 million in joint investment projects.
>