The Ministry of the Presidency assures that the released document is a draft under consultation and announces a commission with communities, business leaders, authorities and the Church to strengthen the participatory process
SANTO DOMINGO.- The Dominican Government announced yesterday, Friday, the opening of a dialogue process to build the Municipal Territorial Planning Plan (PMOT) of Verón-Punta Cana in a consensual manner, after concerns arose in different sectors about the content of the document presented during the public consultation phase.
The information was provided by the Ministry of the Presidency (Minpre), after a meeting led by the Vice Minister of Territorial Planning and Regional Development, Domingo Matías, along with representatives of the Verón-Punta Cana District Board.
During the meeting, Matías clarified that the recently released document does not constitute the final version of the plan, but a technical draft prepared to serve as the basis for the consultation process established in Law 368-22 on Territorial Planning, Land Use and Human Settlements.
"The Territorial Planning Plan is not finished. It is not a closed document. It is an instrument that will continue to be built together with the people," the official stated, according to the Ministry of the Presidency.
The deputy minister assured that no final decision has been made and that the observations raised by communities such as El Salado, La Ceiba and other sectors will be analyzed under technical, social, environmental and legal criteria before moving towards the final version of the planning instrument.
There will be a dialogue commission
As part of the announced measures, the Ministry of the Presidency reported that it will promote a dialogue commission made up of community representatives, businesspeople, producers, social organizations, local authorities and the Catholic Church, with the aim of expanding citizen participation during the development of the plan.
According to the institution, the process will be accompanied by Monsignor Jesús Castro Marte as facilitator of the dialogue.
He also reported that next Tuesday the Minister of the Presidency, José Ignacio Paliza, will travel to La Altagracia province to hold meetings with the different sectors involved and continue the consultation process.
Plan the growth of the main tourist destination
The Ministry of the Presidency indicated that the Municipal Territorial Planning Plan seeks to respond to the accelerated urban growth of Verón-Punta Cana, considered the main tourist center of the Dominican Republic, through planning that allows for the organization of land use, the protection of natural resources, and the guarantee of the development of infrastructure and public services.
According to the institution, the objective is to provide the municipal district with an instrument that helps guide its urban expansion in a sustainable way, in a context marked by the increase in tourist, real estate and population activity.
Government reiterates call for consensus
During the meeting, Vice Minister Matías reiterated that the Ministry of the Presidency will continue to provide technical assistance to local authorities so that the Territorial Planning Plan is the result of a broad consensus among the various actors in the territory.
The official also called on citizens to participate responsibly in the consultation process and reaffirmed the Government's commitment to planning based on transparency, technical rigor, respect for the legal framework and community participation.
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