He called for doubling the staff to accelerate the completion of the streets under construction.
SANTO DOMINGO - Following complaints from community members and business owners regarding the unfinished road construction in the Colonial City, Tourism Minister David Colladovisited the area on Tuesday to assess the progress of the work and strongly urge the responsible contractors to complete the project in the iconic tourist zone.
The official led a meeting with contractors and merchants in the area and threatened to take legal action against builders who are not progressing with the work according to the schedule. “I want to tell you publicly here that if, starting today, you don't increase the pace of workand bring in more personnel, I will have to prosecute you,” he warned.
He also clarified that he does not receive a commission, does not meet with contractors, and that his commitment is to the people who live in the Colonial City, to business owners and entrepreneurs, and to the development of tourism.
The Comprehensive Tourism and Urban Development Program of the Colonial City (PIDTUCC) —financed with more than 90 million dollars from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), through loan 3879/OC-DR— shows undeniable progress, but also a long wait that has tested the patience of merchants, residents and visitors, highlighted journalist Solangel Valdez, in a work carried out for El Inmobiliario last June.
He highlighted the slowness of the process and that at least 3 kilometers of secondary roads still need to be addressed in areas such as San Antón, Santa Bárbara, San Lázaro and part of Isabel la Católica Avenue, where open streets and ongoing construction projects persist.
David Collado demanded a clear and rigorous work schedule from the contractors as soon as possible: “By tomorrow I want a new, schedule , and I demand that the IDB project evaluate every Monday how the construction of the streets is progressing and on what dates they will be delivered,” he stated.
On the other hand, he instructed those responsible for the Colonial City to comply with the aid contemplated by the initiative to support small businesses, some of which were affected by the closure of several streets.
