The Association of Hoteliers of the East Coast has gone on record to state that it opposes the issuance of sovereign bonds or notes of infrastructure on international capital markets for the purpose of financing the construction of the Coral Highway. The highway would cut the driving time needed to go from La Romana to Punta Cana in half. Ernesto Veloz, spokesman for the association, says it questions the rationale of presenting Congress with the most costly option to build the highway, which entails US$255 million in international funding. He said that this opinion is shared by the National Hotel & Restaurant Association. While both organizations fully support the construction of a more direct highway link, they feel that the proposal sent by the Executive Branch to Congress would be highly burdensome to the nation?s finances. Veloz says that if a more efficient solution were devised, several other pressing infrastructure needs of the region could be met as well.