SEPTEMBER 2010

Dominican businessmen hold a meeting with French expert

Exchange views with Jacques Attali

BREAKING NEWS: Santo Domingo.- Representatives of the Dominican business community expressed their views on the National Development Strategy, in a meeting at the National Palace on Tuesday, with French intellectual Jacques Attali, who was hired by the Ministry of Economy, Planning and Development to focus on development toward the rest the world.

The Ministry, was represented by Matthew Lizardo, Director of the Economic and Social Analysis Unit and advisers Mercedes Alejandro and Luis Reyes.

After the meeting, businessman Corripio Estrada said that the purpose of the meeting was to understand the idiosyncrasies and attitudes of the business mentality, listen to their concerns about the country´s problems, including electricity and competitiveness, before formulating a proposal.

I think any plan that has continuity is good, because a plan without continuity is no plan. It is better for a business, and I suppose for the state, to not be perfect but to be going in one direction, then try to remedy the mistakes found along the way. But what is more damaging is to go forward and go back because, usually, one is left in the same place and not moving forward.

He explained that planning can be successful, if not imposed in the future the political component that a change of government and of the incumbent President of the Republic does not mean that everyone arrives with his book under his arm, because this means remaining in one place.

Afterwards, though he promised not to give examples, he cited cases of governments that have developed their countries economically but not politically, and others who have developed politically but not economically.

Santo Domingo Live, 01.09.10