Spanish
Carolina Mejía stated before the Chamber of Commerce and Production of Santo Domingo that the economic development of the Dominican Republic is largely due to the responsible participation of entrepreneurs.
When presenting the Santo Domingo Integrated Plan (PISD) to the entity's Board of Directors, Mejía added as part of that progress those who have decided to embrace public service with responsibility.
"When I have been asked why we have achieved the economic development we have and how we have managed to move forward, I say: it is because of the responsible participation, fundamentally of the entrepreneurs who have understood the importance of walking alongside the governments," he stated.
The president of the Santo Domingo Chamber of Commerce and Production, Lucile Houellemont, received the municipal executive and granted her an honorary member card.
During the discussion held in the José Manuel Armenteros conference hall, Carolina referred to the PISD as a great inter-institutional effort to promote an orderly growth of Santo Domingo.
The Santo Domingo Integrated Plan is an unprecedented strategy, driven by President Luis Abinader and Carolina, based on the axes of urban development, sustainability, and mobility, to transform the capital with coordinated management under a clear vision for the future.
Works such as the Malecón Deportivo and the Paseo 30 de Mayo have already begun for this. In addition, others that contemplate road connectivity between the main highways, the protection of the historic center and the expansion of strategic infrastructure for tourism and the economy.
Within the framework of the initiative, Mejía quantified the importance of developing the subsoil, as part of the plan, to be able to guarantee the services that must be offered, so that there is a balanced relationship with what needs to be on the surface.
"I would be fascinated if so, if we could define specific things, if we could embrace this and continue working on it in the future, beyond the Government issue," Mejía said before the Board of Directors.
When referring to the effects of climate change, Carolina recalled that floods have been occurring even in large cities around the world.
"Beyond infrastructure, all the great cities of the world have been affected by that reality," he said, noting that the capital has made progress on rainwater drainage issues, but the large amounts of rain in a short time continue to pose a challenge not only for the Dominican capital, but for developed cities around the world.
Likewise, he defined the management of solid waste as the main challenge facing the country, with a view to continuing to move towards development.
Chamber of Commerce and Production highlights potential in PISD
When assessing the initiative, Lucile Houellemont commented on the need for private support to ensure development in line with the city's needs.
In his role as a member of the Chamber of Commerce and Production of Santo Domingo, Pedro Brache congratulated Carolina, describing as serious the work done around the PISD, which, in his opinion, has the potential to mark a new future for the city.
In that vein, vocalist Mary Fernández also considered that the Integrated Plan of Santo Domingo promotes conversation and inter-institutional articulation. "Mayor, I congratulate you for that. That will be a project that hopefully can be carried out."
Carolina has presented the Santo Domingo Integrated Plan to important business and professional associations, including the National Council of Private Enterprise (Conep), the Association of Industries of the Dominican Republic (AIRD), and the Dominican College of Engineers, Architects and Surveyors (Codia).
