You state that the Saudis bring in people to fill jobs their own people consider beneath themselves to perform and totally turn a blind eye to that same demonstration of reluctance with regard to the Haitian population occupying that same position in the DR.
The DR imports Haitians because their labor is cheaper than Dominican labor. Many Dominicans (I would think) would cut sugar cane if it paid them well, but they don't because: A) Sugar cutting doesnt pay well and B) Haitian acceptance of the meager pay helps exacerbate such meager pay in that industry.
In the contrary, Saudi Arabian "low jobs" actually pay them quite well with the foreigners being imported being housed in nice compound apartments. Any Saudi could live off the wages being paid for a low job, but they don't do it because they consider it to be "offensive". That notion comes from the fact that many Saudis live very comfortable.
Higher living standards bring a sense of pride to people and that pride usually makes them decide hardship over taking an available job position, especially if the job position has a negative connotation. In the other hand, if the job pays meager wages, then that is the basis for most people to ignore such jobs, in order to pull the wages up. But, when foreigners who work for less come in, the wages don't go up, but either stabalize at the meager levels or might even fall.
You advocate bringing in foreign elements to do that same work and leave out the vast uneducated element of the DR that wouldn't be able to fulfill those industrial jobs being offered in your 'Free Zone" described above. In addition, you advocate severe punishment for those that don't comply (am I reading you wrong?).
Those financial jobs that I am proposing is nothing more than making the outsourcing wave that is happening in the US a bit more closer to home. Instead of moving a companies operation to India (which also has poweroutages, intermitten water service, and an infrastructure that makes the DR look like El Dorado), they would move it to the DR which is only 3 hours away from the US, that being the number one advantage. In addition to that, the lower pay that they would pay to the Indians anyways, they will be able to do here in the DR to the exact same Indians because they will import the Indians to the DR.
Many of those jobs, while they pay less than in the US, they still pay a bit more than most jobs currently do in the DR. That creates aggregate demand in most other indirectly affected industries. Which one you ask? Well, lets see. They need restaurants to eat, clothing stores, cable TV, transportation. They need communication services to keep in touch with their family in India, Airline services for their occasional trip home, they need Language schools to learn Spanish or any other language, etc. All of that turns out into more economic incentives for economic growth here in the DR. The more job growth, the lower the unemployment rate and a slight increase in consumption would be witnessed.
While that is underway, the government could spend some extra cash (which will collect through the extra revenue from the sales taxes, etc) into the education system so that the next generation of Dominicans would be much more qualified for better paying jobs.
I don't suggest severe punishment for those who don't comply. Their punishment will be self inflicted in their loss not taking part in the new economic activity.
I'm not trying to belittle you when I say that your plan is one that needs A LOT OF WORK in order to make it acceptable to ANY potential foreign companies OR immigrants.
If I did not wanted people to make comments on my plan or if I thought that my plan was perfect, I would have never post it here. Everything I post on DR1, for the most part is meant for me to fine tune it. I'll support what I say for a while, but if I see that my support is not going through, I modify my ideas. After all, I post to better my ideas and perception of things, not to make the rest of the world agree with me. However, if most people agree with me in certain issues, then I know that I am in the right state of mind when it comes to that particular issues, otherwise I modify my thinking.
Where will you house them? Or, would you require the companies to provide that housing?
There are many homes (new and old) that are not occupied in certain areas of the DR (in the Capital, around Puerto Plata, Santiago, etc). Many of these folks coming in from abroad could combine their resources among small groups of themselves to rent out a place. As they prosper or as the market conform it self to serve them, they will be able to get their own place or build their dream home, or whatever. It all takes time for this to happen. If companies want to house them (like some resorts in Punta Cana are doing) then fine, but most likely these immigrants will have to do the samething they do in the US. Get a group of them together and they will share their resources in paying for certain things like housing, services, etc.
What about the endemic problems of the almost nonexistant infrastructure? Or would you have those not accustomed to the amenities of a modern civilized nation?
These immigrants are mostly coming from third world countries that are far more behind than the DR. India ($400 per capita GDP), Pakistan, Bangladesh, China, etc. Countries that have a large pool of skilled workers but live in dismal conditions. Their move to the DR would appear for them to be a move upward in their economic appearance. If you have been to Mumbay, Kolkota, or Delhi you know that those places are so poor that nowhere in the DR looks like that!
Also, how did you go accustomed to the DR way of life? After all, you came from the first world! If you were able to get adjusted then that means that there are many others who are capable of doing just that.
From what countries would you suggest these recruits for your "El Dorado" be drawn? Africa, the Mid-East, the Phillipines, China, Siberia?
Surely not from Europe, the US or India. They'd laugh in your face outright for your audacity.
I already mentioned the possible countries in the previous paragraphs. Why would Europe and US laugh, the DR will offer them another cheap place for their multinational companies to lower their costs! And India doesn't care. After all, why would India allow millions of its brightest people to leave the country while keep all of the people that are poor and non mobile economically?
May I just got lost in your commentary, but it doesn't make sense to me.
Care to go into a little more detail??
It takes time to get people align into any type of vision. It takes time. Sooner or later it will cling to you what I am saying, just give it some time.