The Mejía administration is in favor of the creation of the Ministry of Foreign Trade. The idea is to provide the country with a unified front regarding international commerce and foreign investment. To this day, several government organizations carry the voice of the country on different trade and investment matters. Problems have arisen when the different government organization directors have had diverse opinions. Now, the Secretaría de Comercio Exterior seeks to resolve these problems and strengthen the country’s position by unifying all sectors involved. The Secretaría de Comercio Exterior would be the umbrella organization for: Consejo Nacional de Zonas Francas (National Free Zone Council) Oficina para la Promoción de la Inversión Extranjera (Foreign Investment Promotion Office) Oficina Nacional de Negociaciones Comerciales (National Office for Trade Negotiations) Centro Dominicano de Promoción de Exportaciones (Dominican Center for the Promotion of Exports) Departamento de Negociaciones Comerciales de la Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores (Department of Trade Negotiations of the Ministry of Foreign Relations). Former national free trade agreement negotiator, Frederic Emam-Zadé, today a private consultant, firmly supports the idea of the new organization. He says that it is in the best interest of the nation. He is aware, though, that it affects the individual interests of several sectors within the different organizations that would fall under the new ministry’s umbrella. The Dominican Association of Free Zones has opposed that the new Ministry absorb the National Free Zone Council. Emam-Zadé explains that this is so because individual interests of some free zones that are especially influential in the Council today would be affected. He emphasizes that the free zone sector in general stands to gain. Commenting on the new ministry for the Listín Diario, Deputy Minister for Consular Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Relations José Alejandro Ayuso says he favors the move. "In our case there is an enormous dispersion of efforts and it is difficult to establish coherence in regards to foreign trade," he explains. He says with the new Ministry of Foreign Trade there will be more efficiency as everyone will be working with the same program, in the same direction. He said this will result in an increase in foreign investment, and would prepare the country for the days of open markets and to take better advantage of free trade agreements. The move would also create synergy and savings among the different institutions of the government that promote trade and foreign investment. Osmar Benítez, today executive vice president of the Junta Agroempresarial Dominicano, is the chosen first head of the to-be-formed Secretaría de Comercio Exterior.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The Mejía administration is in favor of the creation of the Ministry of Foreign Trade. The idea is to provide the country with a unified front regarding international commerce and foreign investment. To this day, several government organizations carry the voice of the country on different trade and investment matters. Problems have arisen when the … <\/p>\n