In an event led by the President of the Republic, Luis Abinader, the National Council of Private Enterprise (Conep) assured in an international scenario marked by economic changes, geopolitical tensions and technological transformation, the Dominican Republic must act with a long-term vision, strengthen its competitiveness and consolidate itself as one of the countries with the greatest development opportunities taking into account the trends of today’s world.
“We are living in a period of profound economic and geopolitical transformations. Economic security has become part of national security. Global supply chains are being reorganized. And technologies such as artificial intelligence are redefining global competitiveness,” commented its vice president, César Dargam within the framework of the organization’s 63rd anniversary and National Private Enterprise Day.
However, although the goal has already been established, the executive recognized the need to face the structural challenges that limit the country’s competitiveness, such as modernizing the educational system, closing gaps between academic training and productive needs, confronting informality, overcoming deficiencies in the electrical system and building national agreements that transcend governments and political cycles.
With an eye on initiatives such as the National Development Strategy and Goal RD 2023, Dargam assured that it is not only about the private sector but also about institutional quality, planning capacity and how the country is organized where people live, work and produce.
“We must continue building a shared strategic vision about the future of the country,” he said.
In that sense, its president Celso Juan Marranzini alluded that factors such as free enterprise, decent work and trust continue to be fundamental tools of social mobility, stability and freedom for the development of the nation, highlighting at the same time the importance of private enterprise in this ecosystem.
He highlighted that the private sector is a direct expression of Dominican society, representing the working class who produce, innovate and generate opportunities for the country, achieving stability, economic diversification and confidence.
Thanks to these factors, he indicated that they show the differentiated way in which the country is observed at the regional level according to the Harvard Growth Lab, which projects the nation as the only economy in Latin America and the Caribbean within the group of countries with the highest expected growth in GDP per capita over the next decade with 85%.
“That is what we aspire to and the key is through consensus, working together, dialogue and working hand in hand with the government, the political, labor and social sector because we really all aspire to the same thing. That is what it is about and that is what has distinguished the Dominican Republic and that is why we are sure that we can do it,” he stated.
In general, they maintained that these results were built over decades by generations of Dominicans who committed to investing, entrepreneurship and generating jobs from sectors such as tourism, free zones, manufacturing, logistics, energy, financial services, exports and MSMEs, contributing to building a more diversified economy.
The entity pointed out that international uncertainty represents a window of opportunity for the Dominican Republic to consolidate its position as a regional platform in advanced manufacturing, technological services, logistics and medical devices with long-term decisions that promote general well-being, prioritizing the construction of solid consensus to break the trap of low growth and position itself as one of the most dynamic economies.
They also indicated that the countries that have managed to make the leap to development have not done so through confrontation between sectors, but through national agreements, shared vision, functioning institutions and a society capable of agreeing on the essentials, even in the midst of their differences, reiterating their commitment to continue promoting institutions, private investment, innovation and a shared vision of development.
