“There are no easy solutions to complex problems” was the warning issued by Roger Noriega, United States Assistant Secretary to the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs. The US envoy is in the country for high-level meetings with government officials in the run-up to the signing of the re-negotiated agreement with the International Monetary Fund. Noriega’s verdict on the Dominican economy was that it is in “profound chaos” but, with a more optimistic assessment, he pronounced it “fundamentally healthy”. He told Dominican legislators that action needed to be taken against all cases of banking fraud, applying all the legal measures and without regard for the consequences. He promised assistance in this area, saying that the US was not an “indifferent observer” to the Dominican Republic’s current economic plight. He added that all sectors appeared to be committed to step in and help. Once the IMF agreement is signed, success will hinge on the combined efforts of government business and civil society, but it is up to the government to make “sacrifices and firm decisions” to benefit the country as a whole. Noriega commented that although debate was healthy, interminable debates could only harm the process. While he acknowledged that many Dominicans are pessimistic, he expressed that it was time to cast such pessimism and cynicism aside. “However, the nation’s productive capacity is fundamentally healthy and the Dominicans are a hard-working people who love their country and want to see that the law is adhered to,” he encouraged. There is a need to strengthen the law and democratic institutions in order to fight corruption more effectively, said Noriega.