The Central Bank of the Dominican Republic announced yesterday that the balance of payments account showed a surplus of US$308.5 million for the first quarter of the year, in contrast to a US$90.5-million deficit for the same period last year. The Central Bank attributed the surplus to a reactivation of exports from the industrial free zones, a 26.6% growth in tourism, and renewed family remittances. According to the Central Bank, the upsurge of these external factors indicates a notable recovery from 2002. The Central Bank?s preliminary report cites the growth in hotels, bars, restaurants, free trade zones, local exports and remittances as the sources for the surplus dollars.