It is expected that the implementation of the DR-CAFTA agreement, scheduled for 1 July 2006, will once more be postponed. The most important issues delaying the treaty’s implementation, as reported in Diario Libre, is the approval of a government procurement law, sorting out of differences over Law 173 on Import Agents and Law 20-2000 on patents. Likewise, the enactment of mobile telephone number portability, or the ability of a customer to retain their existing phone number when changing their carriage service provider is pending implementation.<\/p>\n
Free trade zone entrepreneurs, concerned that they may lose work contracts to Central American countries where the accord has been implemented, are urging the government to move ahead as scheduled.<\/p>\n
Commenting on the delays, Franco Uccelli of Bear Stearns states that a two or three month further delay would merely impact the country’s international image, but would not severely affect its current economic standing. He said in his recent report: “We believe that investment plans and commitments already made are unlikely to change destination as long as any additional delays are reasonably short,” he writes in a 19 June report. “Accordingly, we believe that DR-CAFTA implementation in the DR is simply a matter of time and that the country’s substantial investment pipeline will not be notoriously affected if the July 1st implementation target date is not met.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
It is expected that the implementation of the DR-CAFTA agreement, scheduled for 1 July 2006, will once more be postponed. The most important issues delaying the treaty’s implementation, as reported in Diario Libre, is the approval of a government procurement law, sorting out of differences over Law 173 on Import Agents and Law 20-2000 on … <\/p>\n