Zona Franca Las Américas capta US$43 millones en inversiones: Inversión es casi total foránea.

El  Parque Industrial Zona Franca Las Américas (ZFILA) exporta el 75% de sus producciones hacia el mercado de Estados Unidos, y en la actualidad contempla realizar inversiones por el orden de los US$10 millones mediante la ampliación de los servicios que ofrece y la mejora de obras de infraestructuras ubicadas en su área territorial de un millón de metros cuadrados, para seguir expandiendo sus exportaciones y aportes al país.

En sus infraestructuras, que datan de 25 años, el ZFILA emplea a 13,5000 colaboradores en 26 empresas que representan el 12% del total de las zonas francas del país.

En el Parque Industrial Zona Franca Las Américas, la mayor parte de empresas son de capital extranjero. 

La idea es que las empresas vengan a aportar al incrementeo de la generación de divisas y por eso se enfocan en inversiones extranjeras, que con el pasar de los años han generado un gran aporte, ya que la mayoría de los empleados han logrado mayor capacitación. Esto ha dado como resultado que en los últimos cinco años el Parque industrial Zona Franca Las Américas haya logrado captar el mayor flujo de inversión extranjera al recibir más de US$43 millones en inversión.

Incentives for Foreign Investments in the Dominican Republic - INVESTMENT GUARANTEES (part 3)

Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) 

This U.S. government financial institution fosters U.S. business entry, growth, and competition in emerging markets. Private U.S. investors can obtain financing, guarantees, political risk insurance, and support for private equity investment funds upon meeting certain project eligibility requirements. Emphasis is placed on meeting environmental and worker and human rights standards. Detailed information of all projects is publicly disclosed and open to public comment. 

Projects are initially and continuously reviewed for social and environmental impact, and investors must conduct consultations with locally affected communities where the impact is significant. Housing and renewable energy are two sectors to benefit from OPIC support. In 2007, OPIC allocated US$100 million for housing construction loans for low- and middle-income housing, emphasizing the eligibility of DR-CAFTA countries. In 2008, the agency made a historic commitment to renewable energy by approving funds to mobilize capital investment, and within a year, had considered over 100 proposals totaling US$ 2 billion. Financial incentives in this sector are expected to increase.

Incentives for Foreign Investments in the Dominican Republic - INVESTMENT GUARANTEES (part 2)

Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im Bank) 

If you plan to import capital goods and services from the United States, this independent U.S. federal agency fills the gap in trade financing left by the private lending sector. Designed to improve the export potential for certain U.S. products and services, it provides working capital guarantees (pre-export financing) and export credit insurance to U.S. suppliers, and loan guarantees and direct loans to foreign buyers. The agency focuses primarily on the telecommunications, oil and gas, electricity, transportation, environmental, and manufacturing sectors. 

Recently, it provided a loan guarantee of US$34.5 million to a major investor for the construction of a highway along the Dominican Republic’s eastern coast, which is a globally popular tourist destination, attracting up to 75% of the country’s visitors. Referenced as the Coral Highway (Autopista del Coral), this project involves a 70-kilometer corridor that completes a strategic link between the eastern city of La Romana and the luxury resort area of Punta Cana. Backed by this guarantee, the investor was able to secure more competitive term financing from lenders and tap into a new funding source. Representing Ex-Im Bank’s largest market in the Caribbean, the Dominican Republic offers investors export credit opportunities through this agency for U.S. goods and services used for their projects.

Incentives for Foreign Investments in the Dominican Republic - INVESTMENT GUARANTEES (part 1)

Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA)

MIGA is an autonomous division of the World Bank, an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries, as part of its commitment to promote foreign investment, international trade and facilitate capital investment. Founded in 1988, MIGA is today a multilateral development agency comprising 175 member countries and promoting the flow of foreign direct investment (FDI) to developing countries by offering guarantees to investments in socially and environmentally sound projects. It partners with other global organizations, donors, and insurance providers to offer a comprehensive array of services to investors.

In 2008, a project of 106 kilometers of highway linking the capital city, Santo Domingo in the south, to the burgeoning tourist market in the Samana peninsula to the north, was partially funded through a critical guarantee from MIGA. The guarantee opened financial doors by securing an investment rating higher than the domestic requirement and attracting investors keen on opportunities in Latin America. The high rating also lowered the perceived risks associated with the project, and permitted investors to arrange financing through capital markets. This north-south corridor now provides growth opportunities for agricultural production, agribusiness, and tourism.