El Siglo reports that President Hipolito Mejia met recently with a commission from Sosua to discuss how the government could help boost that community, probably the oldest tourism destination in the DR. Spokesmen for Sosua were Herman Strauss, president of the Compañia Industrial Lechera (Productos Sosua); William Kirkman, of Sea Horse Ranch residential community, Mayor Edmundo Brown, among others. The newspaper reports the President ordered the completion of the sewage and rain water drainage systems. Likewise the construction of dwellings for the occupants of the Los Tablones shacks town to go up behind the apartments that originally were to have lodged these people. Once constructed, the government distributed the dwellings to others, not resolving the problem of the shack town along the beach. Likewise, the government gave instructions for the paving of the westbound Carretera Sabaneta-Puerto Plata, the streets of Sosua. News reports indicate that 20 hotels have closed in Sosua. The closures are also attributed to high operational costs, lack of money to renovate, competition from newer all-inclusive resorts in the area, competition from newer resorts in other areas of the North Coast and the DR, vendor-packed Sosua beach, among other problems. (8 March 2001)
