Starting with the cleanup of the Yaque River, the creation and enactment of the Program for Urban Mobility, and the start of the program for Atlantic Ports and the Expansion of Manzanillo Bay, authorities in the province of Santiago have identified areas for government or foreign investment in the Cibao region. The projects are those expected to have a significant impact on the region’s development. In addition to the above, other important projects are the Merca Cibao and the Program of Inclusive Housing and Inclusive Habitat, both part of the Santiago Strategic Plan for 2030 as put forth by the Council for the Strategic Development of Santiago (CDES).
The plan focuses on actions to improve the economy and create jobs within the province of Santiago and its area of influence. The projects are not cheap and will require massive investments from the private sector to accompany funds already assigned by the InterAmerican Development Bank (IADB) and the business sector.
Juan Carlos Ortiz, the CDES president, told reporters that the clean-up of the Yaque River and its watershed will cost about US$75 million, and the IADB has assigned this money for the project. The Program for Comprehensive Urban Mobility, with seven different programs, begins with Public Transportation and highway safety and will cost US$105 million, a sum also provided by the IADB.
The “System of Atlantic Ports and the Expansion of Port Manzanillo” is aimed at remodeling ports such as Luperon, Arroyo Barril in Samana, Maimon, and Puerto Plata. These funds will come from both public and private sources. The Merca Cibao project is a huge effort to reform the logistics for food, flowers and other products of the entire region and obtain a more efficient distribution.
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El Caribe
5 November 2019