President Luis Abinader launched on Sunday, 16 October 2022 the Santo Domingo 2050 Initiative. The new government program is described as the largest provincial strategy of territorial planning and sustainable development for the Dominican Republic. Its focus is the province of Santo Domingo. It will impact seven municipalities: Santo Domingo East, Pedro Brand, San Antonio de Guerra, Santo Domingo West, Bajos de Haina, Los Alcarrizos and Santo Domingo North.
The Presidency explains that the initiative seeks to counteract the concentrated population rate of the province of Santo Domingo, the highest in the country and one of the highest in the entire Caribbean region.
The President explained that Santo Domingo 2050 seeks to safeguard, organize and guarantee citizens’ quality of life and generate jobs. It is a plan to foster social, economic, cultural and environmental development in the densely populated area. Likewise, among other objectives, the program seeks to provide solutions to the present chaos in vehicular traffic.
The Presidency points out that land use is often inadequate, underutilized and without controls. The plan calls for protecting the areas around the Santo Domingo Bypass (Circunvalación de Santo Domingo), the construction of a major industrial corridor, improvements in basic services, residential and recreational spaces, public administration, health, educational and cultural centers.
It contemplates converting 91 million square meters into concrete growth opportunities with planned investments.
The Presidency press release explains that the initiative includes:
The promotion of investments for the construction of housing complexes and residential areas, art centers, theater, libraries, recording and film studios, hotels, bar areas and spaces for large concerts that will energize the creative industries and the orange economy.
Similarly, it will promote the creation of an aquatic complex in harmony with the ecosystem of the Ozama, Isabela and Higüero rivers. The plan contemplates the transformation of large waste dumps into green spaces, accompanied by the generation of clean energy whose capacity can supply the entire corridor.
It also seeks to make possible an agricultural complex for sustainable and organized production, with diversified crops, stables, processing plants and produce markets.
Sports parks with possibilities for all disciplines and parks open to the community, including recreational offers such as coffee, cacao and cassava trails are contemplated.
The plan calls for the construction of manufacturing centers to generate jobs in specific areas for heavy, light and technological industries, as well as free trade zones and business areas. Also, a research center, specialized and technical education, to continue pushing the development of new technologies and its industry is in the books.
The project will be carried out through the Commission for the Promotion of Land Management, Planning and Sustainable Development of the Province of Santo Domingo. The new entity is to work in collaboration with at least seven government ministries, four decentralized agencies, the mayor’s offices of each municipality in the province of Santo Domingo, the business sector, MSMEs, representatives of social organizations and the active participation of the people.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Economy Pavel Isa Contreras also shared remarks on the effort for orderly development in Greater Santo Domingo. He said that to achieve the correct organization of this territory, the plan envisions the appropriate use of land for activities compatible with environmental protection. Second, to promote the location and orderly relocation of industrial and service activities. Third, the deploying of more and better public services throughout the province and not only in urban concentrations. The plan also contemplates promoting the use of collective means of transportation to avoid congestion.
Antonio Taveras, senator for the province of Santo Domingo, pointed out the need to develop a more competitive country and highlighted the manufacturing potential of Santo Domingo province with its manufacturing traditions and large extension.
Also present for the presentation was Minister of the Presidency Joel Santos; Industry & Commerce Minister Víctor “Ito” Bisonó; the legal consultant of the Executive Branch, Antoliano Peralta; the Director of Ethics and Government Integrity, Milagros Ortiz Bosch; the senator of the National District, Faride Raful, among others.
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Presidency
17 October 2022