The chief trade agreement negotiator for the Dominican Republic, Deputy Minister Frederic Emam-Zade said that negotiations are advanced for the signing of the free trade agreement with Central America during a presidential summit in Santo Domingo on 26 April. Negotiators have just returned from the round of discussions held in Guatemala City from 23-27 March. He said that only the issues on rules of origin (this would affect free zone products) and the list of products that will be exempt from the zero tariff remain to be concluded. The Central American and Dominican negotiators have agreed to present a provisional list of products to be exempt from duty. This list would contain no more than 20 items. The final list would be presented in less than six months time. The exemptions must be justified, there must be reciprocity, and the list cannot include products for which there is ongoing trade between Central America and the DR. Dominican negotiators were head by Frederic Emam Zade, who is in charge of the National Commission for Negotiation of Trade Agreements, and Cesar Herrera, and Rafael N??ez, representing the Ministry of Foreign Relations. Margarita Cede?o, deputy legal consultant to the Presidency; Luisa Fern?ndez and Miguel Angel Heredia for the Ministry of Industry and Commerce; Rodolfo Espineira, Federico Cuello and Rolando Guzm?n for the Technical Secretariat of the Presidency. Also America Bastidas for the Lom? IV Accord Office; Hugo Rivera for Digenor, the industrial quality control department; Gabriel Castro, for the National Free Zone Council; Fernando Pellerano for the Ministry of Finances, Virgilio Gautreaux for the Central Bank; Juan Jose Espinal, Milton Paniagua and Porfirio Alovarez for the Ministry of Agriculture; Gregorio Lora, Jose Rivas and Eduardo Rodr?guez for the Customs Department and Rosa Amelia Abreu for the Dominican Center for the Promocion of Exports. The private sector was represented by Celso Marranzi, president of the Private Business Council (CONEP), Nassim Alemany represented the Association of Industries; Osmar Benitez went for the Agribusiness Council (JAD); Milagros Puello, executive director of the Santo Domingo Chamber of Commerce; Winston Marrero, Luis Manuel Pellerano and Arturo Peguero attended for the free zone industries. Also attending for the private sector were Carlos Despradel, Virgilio Mayol, Maria del Carmen Jaquez, Michele Waschmann, Jose Vanderhorst, Campos de Moya and Claudia Mejia Ricart. Nassim Alemany, president of the Asociation of Industries of the Dominican Republic said that a great effort had been made and that the country would be the primary beneficiary of the trade agreement. Chief negotiator Freddy Emam Zade said that the government would be sending to congress a package of bills that are needed so that the DR can compete as equal with Central America. The bills include a tariffs reform, anti-dumping bill, export promotion bill, income tax bill, among others. While the trade agreement will be signed on 26 April, the government will wait until after the congressional elections take place on 16 May. "Logic tells us that these bills should be submitted to the new congress," said Emam Zade, indicating that the bills would not be submitted until the new congress is inaugurated on 16 August 1998.
