Ah, things are better. OR ARE THEY?

[Lambada]

Originally Posted by Andy B

How I wish this decline weren't so as after these years here, I can't help but identify with my Dominican friends and have compassion for the tribulations they are subjected to by continued governments that have absolutely no thought for the well being of their people. And when a Dominican really opens up and exposes his real feelings, the despair and hopelessness of "more of the same," an existance that does not bode well for them becomes readily apparent.

I absolutely agree. So will it be dictatorship or revolution? Some days I almost feel like I almost have a responsibility to get one started.......... I know, that's not tenable, being a gringa and all, but...........you lose patience.
Politicos here are not going to ameliorate peoples lives (that includes all parties). So what will?

[jackieboo]

Originally Posted by Lambada

I absolutely agree. So will it be dictatorship or revolution? Some days I almost feel like I almost have a responsibility to get one started.......... I know, that's not tenable, being a gringa and all, but...........you lose patience.
Politicos here are not going to ameliorate peoples lives (that includes all parties). So what will?

I agree wholeheartly that the government needs to step in and give some relief to the people. The question is where do they start?

Here's a hypothetical situation.. Let's say the Juan and Juanita live in the campo somewhere in bfe DR. They have 12 children and neither adult has a regular monthly paid job. Neither one is literate and Juan gets by by selling fruit and veggies when he can and does odd jobs when they become available. What do you do to give them hope for the future?

Where do you start?

In the 1930's Teddy Roosevelt started a massive public works project in the United States. The plan worked. I think that something along these lines would work here as well. It would put people that want to work to work and at the same time build a proper infrastructure in the country that would allow the private sector to thrive.

Why hasn't this idea been raised and where are the leaders in this country and have a vision of the future.

Would a giant works project help Juan and Juanita?

I don't think that the DR has the ability to impliment something of this kind because of the culture of corruption that exists. Also, there seems to be a culture of indifference here from the rich and political when it comes to the poor. It just seems strange that a country that is professed to be so intergrated with the church that it doesn't do anything about greed.

[Don Juan]

This is what needs to be done:

1) Invest all the surplus revenue, the gov has already collected, in building two 800 megawatt generating plants.

2) Eliminate taxes across the board for foreign industries willing to invest heavily in manufacturing and assembly of consumer goods.

3) Eliminate each and every encumbrances that retards exportation.

4) seek to establish a trade pact with the European Union.

5) Improve existing seaports by expanding its capacity to expeditiously ship out products and produce.

5) Embark on a 10-year plan to be self-sufficient in ethanol production.

6) All motor vehicles will need to run on a 90% ethanol, 10% gasoline mixture by 2020.

Our only solution to what ails us today is to emulate China. If they were able to become the awesome economic superpower they are today, so can we.

[jackieboo]

Originally Posted by Don Juan

This is what needs to be done:

1) Invest all the surplus revenue, the gov has already collected, in building two 800 megawatt generating plants.

2) Eliminate taxes across the board for foreign industries willing to invest heavily in manufacturing and assembly of consumer goods.

3) Eliminate each and every encumbrances that retards exportation.

4) seek to establish a trade pact with the European Union.

5) Improve existing seaports by expanding its capacity to expeditiously ship out products and produce.

5) Embark on a 10-year plan to be self-sufficient in ethanol production.

6) All motor vehicles will need to run on a 90% ethanol, 10% gasoline mixture by 2020.

Our only solution to what ails us today is to emulate China. If they were able to become the awesome economic superpower they are today, so can we.

I agree with all of your points exept the one about China. I do a lot of business with China and have for the past 15 years so I've seen the economic 'rise' of China. China now has over a billion people and over the past 15 years the majority of the population has grown poorer and poorer. There is a new economic powerhouse in China however it is artificially surrounded by Shanghai, Beijing, Dalian, Qingdao and now Hong Kong. China has the worst enviromental record of any country in the world.

What's happening in China now is almost all social services have been eliminated, this includes healthcare and schooling. Most of the manufactuing plants in China employee young women that come from the country, work in the factory, sleep at the factory and send ever Yuan home to their family.

I think we're more likely to head in the direction of Brazil, but still we don't have the manpower/population to really compete internationally with these countries.

We need a niche market, something that can be produced here cheaply and exported. It's got to be something that other countries are not doing and something that we'll do better and cheaper than them if they start to copy.

Any ideas on what we have that the other countries don't?

[Chris]

Originally Posted by jackieboo

Any ideas on what we have that the other countries don't?

I can give you a list, but, if the government impediments to doing business are not removed, nothing will be wildly successful, or big enough to build an economy on.

Just a few things .. we can grow things .. vanilla, coffee, cacao, noni (in sand at the ocean's edge) and a host of other exotic tropical fruit and veg that are becoming main stream for other tropical countries. Any idea what you pay for a star fruit (Carabola) in the US?

We have semi precious stones .. a little mining, a little polishing and hey presto. In my country we had tourist tours to the different polishing plants and tourists could buy their stones and have something made on the spot... Nice outing!

We are of course a tourism destination, but besides the few big ones with lots of investment capital, we're making quite a mess of that asset.

One thing that I know will work .. if government hackles are removed and investment is allowed to flow, is simply dried fruit, i.e., take the fruit and veg that is being produced now, and take the next step. Can it, dry it, process it ... non-destructive processing, keep it organic and keep the processing healthy. Do you know how much rice grows in the DR? Have you ever seen wild rice grown? Do you know what the prices are for wild rice on the market or on the shelf? Is there any hope in hell that someone could grow organic wild rice and export it without the Government taxing the process to hell and gone? No!

I investigated bringing in a small distilling plant to make essential oils. I did not do it. Why? The market is not conducive for doing business.

Sorry .. have to run so the next bit is a long sentence...

Remove the hands stretched out for handouts, encourage a growth oriented business market, create some focus groups that have something between the ears and can creatively look at what is there, what can be done with it and take it to market ... and things will look different. Branding .. create a brand .. Jamaica, what comes to mind? Jerk Spice and Seasoning and Dreadlocks .. not just to me, but to everyone that has ever heard about the country. What is our brand? What is our tourism brand? Nothing! (I'll quickly answer my own question here ... Batchata, Beer and Chicas) That is why business does not flow and job opportunities will remain for low class workers, e.g., free zone or hotel serving class.

I've just investigated an organic farm that processes their own products .. farm is small. I can walk around it in about an hour. But, they are sweetly profitable. Sometimes I look at the DR and I want to cry at the wanton waste of people's minds and the resources.

consulting bill for all these ideas to follow

[johne]

Chris--a little confused on where you saw the farm.(Hope this info doesn't set off the meter for consulting fees)
john

[Chris]

Not in the DR johne

I wrote the previous post too fast .. needed to add a little capital investment as well! And I'm off topic as well. Let me just say, things could be better!

[Chris]

And some new press ..

http://www.dominicantoday.com/app/article.aspx?id=23738

"Washington.- Dominican Republic occupies, next to Bolivia, last place in the preference of investments in infrastructure.
The data is from a report of the World Economic Forum, titled "Benchmarking for Attractiveness of Private Investment in Latin American National Infrastructure," published by the magazine Latin Business Chronicle, in its Monday, April 30 edition."

[BushBaby]

Originally Posted by Chris

And some new press ..

http://www.dominicantoday.com/app/article.aspx?id=23738

"Washington.- Dominican Republic occupies, next to Bolivia, last place in the preference of investments in infrastructure.
The data is from a report of the World Economic Forum, titled "Benchmarking for Attractiveness of Private Investment in Latin American National Infrastructure," published by the magazine Latin Business Chronicle, in its Monday, April 30 edition."

Errrrrrrr Chris?.............. see post #7. Wasn't that the one that Lambada mentioned?? Obviously Dominican Today have some catching up to do!! ~ Grahame.

[Chris]

Originally Posted by BushBaby

Obviously Dominican Today have some catching up to do!! ~ Grahame.

Or, I need an 'oil-change' .. Seriously, I forgot Lambada put it there, even though I read it first time around. Darn!