President Leonel Fernandez met in Spain with businessmen gathered at the Madrid Chamber of Commerce. He announced that he had been offered a US$300 million loan to improve the jail system. Companies offering to improve conditions at the jail are Equipos Tecnologicos y Maquinarias (Equinsa) and Abadesa. Hoy newspaper reported that President Fernandez said that Abadesa executives would travel to the DR soon and that they had identified the source of funding that would not compromise the public debt of the country.
The Presidency announced that Equinsa would be contracted to modernize the national archives, and would also work on the digitalizing and microfilming of documents and books at the National Library and the library at the state university, UASD. The same company would be entrusted with modernizing the communications system of the police.
President Fernandez also said he had secured financing for the completion of the bridge over Higuamo River (Inocsa), a project announced last month by the Ministry of Public Works.
And President assigned architect Eduardo Selman as coordinator of works to implement the US$450 million New World Artificial Island, a project of Ricardo Bofill, to be built fronting the Malecon. The proposal would call for rehabilitating beaches for touristic and real estate development and would be privately funded.
Present at the meeting also were Spanish businessmen that are interested in participating in the La Romana-Punta Cana highway, as well as a housing development for Dominicans living in Spain.
The government and news reports indicate present at the meeting were: Dominican ambassador in Spain, Alejandro Gonzalez Pons; Gerardo Diaz and Augusto Castaneda, first and second vice presidents of the Chamber of Commerce of Madrid; Jose Manuel Entrecanales, Acciona; Jose Ignacio Wert, Banco Bilbao Vizcaya (BBVA); Fernando Pardo, Equinsa; Roberto Garcia, Elsamex; Domingo Arochena, INDAS (eolic energy); Carlos Perez de Bricio, CEPSA (petroleum company); David Alvarez, EULEN (security services); Gonzalo Pascual, Marsans-ESPANAIR; Antonio Lorente, INOCSA (consulting company); Abel Matutes, de Hoteles Fiesta; Javier Pena, IBADESA; Gabriel Sagrista, Caja del Mediterraneo; Jose de Teran, RESPSOL, Jose Maria Isardo y Ernesto Mata, Soluciona; Antonio Basagoiti, Union Fenosa; and Jose Maria del Manzado, IFEMA (Fitur), Juan Jose (Pepe) Hildago, Air Europa; Gonzalo Pascual, Narsans-Spainair.