Dominican Republic to get part of US$2.5B regional IDB aid: EFE

Panama.- The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) willprovide at least US$2.5 billion to Central America and Dominican Republic in2016 for sustainable development projects, an official said Tuesday, quoted byEFE.

The IDB pledged support to various projects of infrastructure,logistics, health, education, social safety networks and improvements in taxadministration, said at a news conference the bank’s general manager forMexico, Central America and Dominican Republic, Gina Montiel, whose office operatesin Panama since 2015.

Montiel accompanied bank representative in Panama, FidelJaramillo, who announced that for the 2015-2019 period the IDB providesfinancing for 2.0 billion dollars for projects of sustainable development andsocial inclusion.

The general manager for the region also said the IDB"is ready" to financially support the programs and prioritiesapproved by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) to combat zika buturged the population to engage in the elimination of the breeding sites of the vectorAedes Aegyptus mosquito.

The IDB also has a strategy, especially for Mesoamericanmaternal health, and supports joint public security agendas to address theproblem at the regional level, with private sector involvement.