Banker Andres Aybar Baez, president of the American Chamber of Commerce, said that the private sector is borrowing less this year than last year. He said despite interest rates having dropped six points in the past semester, borrowing has not resumed to previous levels. He urged the government to take measures to reactivate investor confidence. Real estate sectors affirm that construction and buying has again picked up. Aybar Baez, who is president of the Banco Mercantil, said that the local banks have an excess of liquidity of RD$3,000 million. He said that in the past the demand for loans exceeded the liquidity of the banking. He said that interest rates have been dropping and he has information money is already being lent at 17%, which he considers a minimum for loans. He said that the ceiling for savings deposits should be no less than 12% Dominican banks have proposed that the state take a loan for RD$3,000 million to complete public works that were budgeted in the 2001 National Budget.
