Economic activity posts sluggish growth in first half

Santo Domingo.- During January to June 2019 economic activity, measured by the Monthly Economic Activity Indicator (IMAE) shows growth lower than in 2018 and similar to 2017, according to Regional Center for Sustainable Economic Strategies (CREES) senior economist Miguel Collado Di Franco.

“This behavior so far in 2019 has been characterized by political-institutional uncertainty, which has negatively affected the investment prospects of economic agents,” the economist said, quoted by Listin Diario.

That uncertainty that does not dissipate in view of the continuing effort to amend the Constitution, “all this within an environment dominated by the processes of political parties with a view to the largest elections, within the scope of candidacies, of recent history.”

Collado Di Franco adds that other negative factors have joined this widespread perception of uncertainty, “such as a lower generation of currencies by sectors such as Free Zones and national exports, to which the effects of the sensational journalistic coverage of the tourism sector by means of International communication.”