Minister of Economy says he has not measured the impact of border closure

Santo Domingo.- The Minister of Economy, Pável Isa Contreras, has stated that it is currently too early to assess the monetary impacts of the trade interruption with Haiti. He expressed optimism that a solution to the current crisis will be found soon.

Contreras emphasized that they have not yet conducted any analyses or studies of this nature because they believe this period is one of transition and adjustment, and they anticipate that the difficulties will be resolved promptly.

When asked about the search for new markets for Dominican Republic exports to Haiti, Contreras indicated that it is not a special focus at the moment. He stated that exploring new markets is an ongoing priority for the Dominican government, with a focus on larger markets such as Guyana, Trinidad, Jamaica, and Barbados, which have higher income levels and larger populations.

Contreras reiterated the importance of reestablishing the commercial relationship with Haiti and expressed hope that the interruption would be short-lived, emphasizing the need for dialogue to resolve the trade issues.

These comments were made during the opening ceremony of the “First National Meeting on Reform and Modernization of Public Administration: Towards a National Pact for Institutionality in the Dominican Republic,” organized by the Ministry of Public Administration and its head, Darío Castillo Lugo.