A total of 56 free zone industrial parks operate in 27 of the country’s 32 provinces. Overall, 584 companies are responsible for 140,000 direct jobs. The president of the Dominican Free Zone Association (Adozona) Aquiles Bermudez expressed his satisfaction that the sector has grown by 3.4% in the first half of the 25th anniversary year. He says that prospects for the next 10 years are good. Speaking on the occasion of the anniversary, he said that the biggest competition comes from Vietnam.