The government is taking steps to prepare for the May
signing of a free trade agreement with the United States. Although the Dominican
Republic plans to dock itself to the Central American Free Trade Agreement, it
will be allowed to make recommendations for certain changes. Industry & Commerce
Minister Sonia Guzman de Hernandez will lead the team of negotiatiors, which
will include Hugo Rivera Fernandez, Manuel Diaz Franjul, Hugo Rivera Santana
(Industry & Commerce Ministry), Orlando Jorge Mera (INDOTEL), Eduardo Rodriguez,
Magin Diaz, Claudia Troncoso (Finance Ministry), Santiago Tejada, Natalia
Polanco, Lynette Batista (Foreign Relations Ministry), Carolina Mejia (daughter
of President Hipolito Mejia), Jeannette Dominguez (CNZFE), Elka Scheker and
Patricia Mejia (CEI-RD), Milton Ray Guevara (Labor Ministry), Jesus de los
Santos (Agriculture Ministry), Hector Rene Ledesma (Ministry of Environment),
and others. The government announced that the consultations with the private
sector regarding the Dominican position on the FTA with the US will begin this
week. Sonia Guzman is promoting the FTA on grounds that it will stimulate new
jobs, increase investment, transfer technology, generate foreign currency, and
improve education and the institutionalism of the government.