During his weekend visit to Puerto Plata, President Leonel Fernandez promised to turn the north coast destination into a model tourist zone. President Fernandez said that the priority is to find a definitive solution to the problem of the municipal garbage dump, complete the expansion of the state university campus and repair the Malecon in time for December. He also announced the repair of several public schools, four aqueducts and community health centers in Sosua, Imbert and Guananico.
He expressed his commitment to securing external funding or including priority works in the 2006 budget. Public works sought by the population include: construction of Puerto Plata’s port, sewage treatment plants, expansion of the Navarrete-Puerto Plata highway, the construction of a new Cabarete-Puerto Plata highway to replace the one now going straight through Cabarete, the reconstruction of the Cabarete-Rio San Juan highway, and improvements in the electricity system, among others.
Environment Minister Max Puig said that the President has given instructions for the improvement of the Cabarete lagoon, on the grounds that it is part of a protected area.
During his visit, Fernandez met with members of the Provincial Development Council, and hotel associations from Puerto Plata, Playa Dorada, Cabarete and Sosua.
The Presidency’s Public Works supervisor Felix Bautista said that this month a high level commission from the World Bank would be meeting with the provincial council and tourism executives to review the strategic development plan that has been drawn up for the improvement of the north coast destination.
President Fernandez was also in Cabarete to watch the best kiteboarders in the world compete in the annual Cabarete event. The next day, he had breakfast with Don Isidro Garcia Mercedes, the Puerto Plata entrepreneur behind the development of the Victoria, Gran Ventana and Casa Colonial hotels in Playa Dorada. He also met with Puerto Plata businessman Juan Carlos Morales.