Spanish
The Association of Industries of the Dominican Republic has little faith that the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) can double by 2036 as proposed by the Government with the Meta 2036 plan, because universities are not graduating professionals trained in the areas that the Dominican industry needs.
"We will not be able to meet the goals we have set for ourselves as a country for 2036 of doubling our GDP if we do not address all these issues," considered the executive vice president of the Association of Industries of the Dominican Republic (AIRD), Mario Pujols.
The representative of the industrial sector understands that universities are not training personnel in key areas such as the disciplines called STEM, an acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics.
"The needs, expectations, and demands of the industrial sector are not being met with what universities are graduating today," Pujols pointed out.
In 2024, the nominal GDP of the Dominican Republic closed around $123,985.5 million dollars, registering a real growth of 5.0%.
In May 2025, the Government presented a plan to double the national GDP by the year 2036 with the presentation entitled "Goal 2036: a path towards sustainable development and public-private collaboration opportunities."
In March 2025, as part of the Government's commitment to sustainable development and economic growth, President Luis Abinader led the presentation of the Sectoral Committees of Meta RD 2036, formally initiating the work that will drive the prioritized initiatives to double the country's real GDP in the next 11 years.
The president detailed that Meta RD 2036 is the route to transform the Dominican Republic into a fully developed country and highlighted that these committees will allow translating the objectives into concrete actions that will impact the economy and improve the quality of life of all Dominicans.
These statements were offered within the framework of the 20th American Regional Meeting (ARM 2025) of the International Labour Organization (ILO), which is being held from October 1 to 3 in Punta Cana.
The event is attended by ministers and high-ranking representatives from 24 countries in the Americas.
