The promoters of the Zona Franca Multimodal Caucedo announced they hope to start construction in August of this year. Samuel Conde and Manuel Enrique Tavares said they are awaiting completion of the environmental impact study required by the Ministry of Environment to grant the go ahead to the project. In an interview in Hoy newspaper today, Conde highlighted the advantages of this US$240 million private world-class logistics center which includes the development of a deep-water port with a container terminal and free trade zone. Dominican and foreign groups are investing in the project. Conde explains that at the present time 60% of Dominican cargo arrives here from transshipment centers in Panama, Puerto Rico or Jamaica. He says the port vies to attract that business. Consequently, shipping costs to the DR will decline as local exporters and importers can take advantage of the large ships. “The impact of this project could be extraordinary for the DR,” says Tavares. He says the DR could become the Taiwan of the Caribbean. He feels this will enable the DR to be a player when the Free Trade Agreement of the Americas goes into effect. The businessmen also say the port will generate jobs for 1,000 workers during construction and 5,000 to 8,000 jobs once it is completed by early 2003. For more information on the port, see http://www.caucedo.com/default.asp?eng=1
