Environment Minister Max Puig pointed out that the investors that interested in building hotels in the National Park Jaragua have not yet followed regular government channels to secure permits for the construction. He told Hoy newspaper that he is unaware of the plans of a French group to build hotels in the Bahia de las Aguilas, a UNESCO biosphere reserve area located in the southwestern province of Pedernales that as a protected area has been off limits for this type of construction so far. The group made a presentation to the President during his visit to Paris and the President announced his support, conditioning it to a presentation that would be made in Santo Domingo. The Presidency reported that a Grupo Mogador (that does not appear in Google) has made an offer to invest US$600 million in the region, and has announced plans to build four 70-room hotels in the National Park area.
Puig denied that environmental impact studies had already been carried out, and said that there is no record in his Ministry of Environment of investors securing terms of reference to submit this required document.
Puig told Hoy newspaper: “From what I have read in the press, they presented a study to the President, who invited the investors to the country and when they come the project will be evaluated the same way that other projects are evaluated, adhering to the law and the guarantees that are offered to investors. We are waiting to learn about this project that we have no knowledge of.”