President-elect Hipolito Mejia stated that he subscribes to no particular economic theory or tendency but dismissed the value of a "free market" if it means massive rice imports at the start of the local rice harvest. "In Gurabo," he said, "there are no established economic sectors." Mejia’s reference is to the small rural town in which he was born in Santiago Province. Mejia was the guest of honor at this month’s meeting of the Corripio Group, which publishes the newspapers, Hoy and Nacional, as well as several magazines. He led a large group of PRD leaders and sat beside vice-president-elect Milagros Ortiz Bosch. Mejia, who served as Minister o Agriculture in the government of Antonio Guzman (1978-82), commented extensively on agricultural issues. Mejia commented that it was "a disgrace" that while his associate, Fernando Alvarez Bogaert, headed the State Sugar Council (CEA) over a million tons of sugar was exported, but that this past year just 50,000 tons has been exported. He also wondered how local agro-industry, which needs to pay over 30% for financing, can compete with other nations whose farmers pay 6% or 7%. Mejia offered assurance that "within a year or two" the agricultural sector would turn around, as he has a team of 200 experts "with master’s degrees and doctorates" who will be put to work to solve the problems. Mejia provoked laughter when he said that his presidential desk would have no drawers, whose only function is to lay aside things that should be dealt with at once. He described himself as a "private sector man" rather than a bureaucrat. "My pulse doesn’t race when I have to make a decision," he said.
