President Luis Abinader joined businessman Fernando Capellán of the Grupo M in Dajabón for the inauguration of the new facilities at the Villa Codevi, the largest industrial free zone in the Dominican Republic and a global model of bi-national development.
The new Paseo del Chachá is a sustainable community and ecotouristic project. It has 110 hotel rooms located the Villa Codevi industrial zone.
Paseo del Cachá also features a nutrition center capable of supplying 15,000 food rations to persons in Dajabón and Ouanaminthe in Haiti. The new facility has a gymnasium, multi-use hall, events hall, swimming pool, restaurant, children’s play area, and more.
Speaking at the inauguration, Capellán highlighted that for every job created in the Dominican Republic, three are created for Haitian nationals. He said that the industrial center creates better living conditions for both countries. More jobs created in Haiti is good news for the Dominican Republic as it translates in reduced migration.
Villa Codevi employs over 14,000 people, mostly Haitians in manufacturing. The industrial zone operates with benefits of the Haitian Hemispheric Opportunity through Partnership Encouragement (HOPE) Act and the Haiti Economic Lift Program (HELP) Act that provide trade preferences and expand tariff benefits for certain Haitian textile and apparel exports to the United States.
Other hosts for the inauguration were Joseph Blumberg, general manager of Codevi, and Anibal Capellán, marketing director of Grupo M-Codevi.
Also, attending for the Abinader government were Administrative Minister of the Presidency Jose Ignacio Paliza, Agriculture Minister Limber Cruz and Industry & Commerce Minister Victor (Ito) Bisonó. Also Labor Minister Luis Miguel Decamps, Public Works Minister Deligne Ascención Burgos, Banco de Reservas manager Samuel Pereyra, and Customs Agency director, Eduardo Sanz Lovaton. Also Daniel Liranzo, director of the National Council of Export Free Zones, among others.
Read more in Spanish:
Presidency
Listin Diario
Grupo M
13 March 2021