Hernando Gómez cited an average annual GDP growth of 5% over 20 years and foreign direct investment ranging between 3.8% and 4.2% annually in the last decade as signs of the country's competitiveness
SANTO DOMINGO. – Economist Hernando Gómez, PMO manager of the developer Cruise On Land, stated at the Safe Metro 2026 Forum, organized by the El Inmobiliario, that the country will not be able to sustain its development without a public-private partnership that brings together the government, the private sector, science, technology, research and the social sector.
According to the economist, when these four actors work together, the conditions for constant and sustainable growth are created. To support the country's competitiveness, he noted that international investors, whose decisions are based on expectations influenced by the present and past of an economy, seek to maximize profits and profitability, which requires favorable macroeconomic and microeconomic conditions.
Within that framework, Gómez pointed out that in the last 20 years the Dominican gross domestic product has grown on average 5% annually, a rate that, in his opinion, few countries in the world have and that is structural, not cyclical.
He added that over the past ten years, foreign direct investment has fluctuated between 3.8% and 4.2% annually, figures which, he said, have led hundreds of investors to believe in and trust the competitiveness of the Dominican Republic. The challenge he posed is ensuring that this development is sustainable and that its benefits reach all of Dominican society.
In the same panel of the Safe Metro Forum, the manager of Cruise On Land identified the sectors with the highest returns and cited construction and real estate, tourism and industry as protagonists of the growth dynamic, with a multiplier effect on others.
He added two that, he said, are gaining momentum: the financial sector, which he described as an interesting and competitive market, and the technology and artificial intelligence sector.
He also mentioned that his company contributes to the development of Punta Cana, a destination where tourism and the real estate sector coexist with business, logistics and technology.
Regarding what foreign investors consider, Gómez explained that the first thing they look at is the country, its growth, its inflation, and its country risk, and that these variables are favorable for foreign investment, along with financing opportunities and the appetite of local capital, investment funds, and development banks.
He then indicated that the investor requires that the project be based on a good feasibility study and an adequate risk management system.
Gomez's statements were made at the Metro Seguro 2026 Forum, Connecting Investments, which was held on September 29 at the Catalonia Santo Domingo Hotel and also included panels on real estate credibility and on the difference between fraud and non-compliance.
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