Tourism Minister Félix Jiménez said yesterday that the World Bank is conditioning the January 1999 release of US$10 million of a sanitation loan to the DR to approval by the municipal governments of Cabarete, Las Terrenas, Puerto Plata and Sosúa of their trash collection and sewer services. The US$10 million is the next tranche of a US$120 million Bank loan to the DR to improve sanitation and the provision of electric power to these centers of tourism. He confirmed that President Fernández has already authorized the National Institute of Potable Water and Sewage (INAPA) to transfer to private hands management of the sewage system in these areas; all that is needed is for the local governments to sign off. He indicated that there have been expressions of interest from Brazilian, Colombian and French firms in managing the sewer systems there.
