SANTO DOMINGO – President Luis Abinader emphasized that one of the most important areas for the economic development of the Dominican Republic is its ports, which he considers fundamental for exports and imports and for consolidating the country as a logistics hub for Central America and the Caribbean.
“Without proper ports, without efficient logistics, without government support and the public-private partnership we have implemented, there is no economic development,” the president stated.
In that regard, he highlighted the progress in the construction of the port of Pedernales, the expansion of the port of La Romana, the upcoming opening of Port Samaná and the ongoing work at the port of Manzanillo, as well as at other port facilities in the country.
The ruler expressed his views while participating in the inauguration of the XLVIII Central American Isthmus Port Meeting (Repica 2026), a regional technical forum focused on maritime-port development, promoting the exchange of experiences on technology, sustainability, operational efficiency and modernization, as well as port management, innovation, legislation, infrastructure and regional competitiveness.
Furthermore, it seeks to strengthen the logistical connectivity of the isthmus and the Caribbean.
Modernization, jobs and connectivity
For his part, the executive director of Apordom, Alejandro Campos, highlighted the transformation and modernization of the Dominican port infrastructure, recalling that for the last edition of Repica that was held in the country in 2018, there were only three cruise terminals and 1 million visitors were received, while to date, there are 6 ports and three million visitors arrive.
This sustained growth is also seen in cargo operations.
This evolutionary process has also had a direct impact on families, as the Port Modernization Master Plan projects the creation of more than 10,000 jobs. In Cabo Rojo, Pedernales, more than 300 direct jobs and nearly 1,000 indirect, and the transformation of the port of Arroyo Barril, in Samaná, will generate between 1,000 and 1,500 direct jobs.
During his speech, Campos also highlighted the vision of turning the Dominican Republic into a Caribbean cruise hub and a regional logistics hub , as part of a strategy aimed at strengthening the country's connectivity and competitiveness.
Similarly, he pointed out that this plan takes into account the protection of the environment and the Dominican coasts.
Participants
Repica 2026, which runs until September 11 , brings together port managers and administrators; representatives of transport ministries; port authorities and companies and other related entities and stakeholders in the maritime-port industry.
This version is organized by Cocatram (Central American Commission of Maritime Transport), together with the Dominican Port Authority (Apordom), and representatives from Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama and the Dominican Republic participate.
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