This Thursday, President Luis Abinader broke ground on the construction of the Barahona Port Terminal, which in its first stage will have two docks and for which an investment of 150 million pesos is projected.
The entire project will cost more than 400 million pesos because the Ministry of Tourism is working on the design of the construction of shops, restaurants and themed areas.
The president explained that although the dredging of the area will be done with equipment borrowed from the ITM Group, which is carrying out construction work in Pedernales, only the fuel cost will be invested.
He said that the works to be built in the southern province are part of his government's philosophy, which is "to do a lot with a little.".
"This (cruise ports) was a sleeping giant that we are waking up for the good of the development of the Dominican Republic," Abinader stated.
"The opening of Cabo Rojo will make things much more feasible for the one here; in fact, the Mexican company from Cabo Rojo has already told us that they will include a stop here in Barahona in one of their routes," declared the Dominican head of state, while delivering a speech at the event.
He emphasized that the Ministry of Tourism is working to make the port of Barahona one of the best, since cruise ship tourists seek better experiences and the southern province has the tourist attractions to provide them.
"We have to break the vicious cycle of underdevelopment and create a virtuous cycle of development," he stressed.
For his part, the director of the Dominican Port Authority (Apordom), Jean Luís Rodríguez, highlighted that the port will be able to receive two vessels simultaneously to receive tourists.
He stated that the initial payment has already been made so that construction of the project can begin.
"Today we are not only beginning the rehabilitation and expansion of these docks, today we are beginning the construction of opportunities, future and growth for the entire province of Barahona," said Rodríguez.
He said that with the construction of this terminal, the Dominican Republic is taking steps to become a logistics hub for the Americas.
He assured that the Dominican Republic will have eight cruise terminals, some under construction and others already in operation.
With information from Diario Libre.
