1. How would you describe the institution’s role as the governing body for public-private partnerships (PPP), and the priorities that guide its work under the Act 47-20 of PPP?
The DGAPP is responsible for turning collaboration between the state and the private sector into projects that deliver measurable benefits for the public. As executive director, I approach that responsibility from both a legal and a development perspective, for that, every initiative must address a public need, be supported by rigorous studies, and establish obligations that are enforceable throughout the life of the PPP contract. Trust is built when citizens understand what they receive, investors know their responsibilities, and the state has the capacity to monitor compliance.
Under the Act 47-20, the DGAPP promotes the PPP model, manages the stages within its remit, and coordinates technical work. The National Council for Public-Private Partnerships (CNAPP), chaired by the Minister of the Presidency (of the Dominican Republic), exercises its evaluation and decision-making powers. Contracting authorities retain their sector-specific and contract management responsibilities, while the fiscal authority assesses commitments and risks to public finances. This division of responsibilities brings together different areas of expertise and subjects decisions to successive layers of oversight.
In the way of President Luis Abinader’s development vision, our mission is to expand responsible investment and strengthen the country’s capacity to deliver on its priorities.
2. The PPP model expands the state’s capabilities. How do they mobilize private investment and help finance the sustainable infrastructure the country needs without compromising public finances?
PPPs mobilize resources when a public need is translated into a project with identifiable revenue streams, clearly defined responsibilities, and risks that can be assessed. Private capital can finance the initial investment while bringing management capabilities, technology, and operational expertise. Private participation allows infrastructure delivery to be planned alongside operations and maintenance, so that decisions made at the design stage also account for the cost of providing a high-quality service over many years.
To explain the fiscal impact, it is useful to distinguish upfront financing from the sources that will pay for the project over time. The former may come from investor equity and loans; the latter may include user charges, commercial revenue, or duly budgeted public payments.
The sustainability of a PPP project also has physical and social dimensions. We must seek resilient designs, maintenance, and environmental standards, together with access arrangements that reflect users’ circumstances.
3. The DGAPP already has a project pipeline under way. Which projects define the current portfolio, and how do they align with the country’s development goals?
The portfolio should be understood as a pipeline of initiatives at different stages of maturity, from evaluation to contract implementation. At the end of this year, we will present a new portfolio of projects with the potential to improve infrastructure and public services in industry, health, water, sanitation, education, and other sectors prioritized by the National Council for Public-Private Partnerships (CNAPP).
I would like to highlight the work of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Commercial Law Development Program (CLDP), supported by the U.S. Embassy, in conducting technical workshops and joint assessments with the Public-Private Partnerships General Bureau (DGAPP) to strengthen the Dominican Republic’s project pipeline. The main objective of this collaboration has been to screen infrastructure and public service projects for delivery through public-private partnerships (PPPs), identifying, assessing, and prioritizing suitable initiatives.
One example is Port Samaná, developed through the transformation of Port Duarte in Arroyo Barril (Sanamá Province) in a high-tech cruise terminal, which represents the first PPP contract formalized under Act 47-20. The private investment in the project is approximately US$68 million, and the contract runs for 33 years.
4. Drawing on the experience of its first few years, a reform of the Act 47-20 is now being advanced. What does it seek to modernize, and how will it help shorten project structuring and contract award timelines?
The reform seeks to build on the experience gained so that the state can prepare better projects and bring them to procurement within reasonable timeframes. The Act 47-20 provided the country with a dedicated PPP framework; its implementation has helped identify areas for improvement in institutional coordination, the preparation of studies, and procedural requirements. The proposal aims to translate that experience into greater delivery capacity.
The executive branch submitted the bill to the Senate on August 27, 2026, and the DGAPP has helped explain it to the relevant Senate committee. The proposal remains subject to consideration and approval by the National Congress of the Dominican Republic. The proposed changes must therefore be presented as the objectives and tools of the bill, with full respect for the deliberative process and the provisions ultimately approved by the relevant branches of government.
Its key provisions include explicit recognition of the DGAPP’s authority to structure projects and the creation of a dedicated fund to support project preparation studies. Both address a practical challenge, it is, an idea may be of considerable public importance while still requiring resources and expertise to establish its viability. Preparing the technical, legal, and financial components in good time allows difficulties to be identified before approaching the market and improves the quality of decision-making.
The proposal also introduces the optimization of public assets. This tool would allow existing infrastructure and assets in need of improvement or modernization to be assessed, and help determine how regulated private participation could make better their use. In my view, any intervention must begin with a sound assessment of the asset, its public function, and the conditions needed to preserve and enhance its social value.
On procedures, the proposal sets out different pathways according to project complexity and simplifies stages in specific circumstances. The proposal has a target of reducing the time to contract award to between 10 and 18 months for certain less complex initiatives. These are targets informing the reform’s design; actual timelines will depend on each project’s studies, permits, characteristics, and conditions, as well as the provisions ultimately approved.
I believe the main management improvement will come from coordinating the preparation of decisions that can currently lead to successive delays. Defining responsibilities, information requirements, and evaluation criteria from the outset reduces the need to send submissions back for revision and makes the process easier to track. Sound planning should enable the state to make timely decisions and investors to understand the requirements they must meet at each stage.
5. The balance between profitability and the public interest is delicate. How do PPPs secure investor returns while safeguarding the public interest and transparency in procurement?
That balance is established when expected returns are linked to a worthwhile investment, the risks assumed, and compliance with verifiable obligations. Investors need an economically viable structure to commit long-term capital; citizens need quality services and reasonable access conditions. Our responsibility is to ensure that both interests are embedded in a PPP contract that can be fulfilled and effectively monitored.
From a legal perspective, providing certainty means defining rights, obligations, and enforcement mechanisms. Actual returns will depend on performance and the risks allocated to the private partner. During structuring, we must ensure that demand, cost, and revenue forecasts are consistent and that financial assumptions can be explained. This discipline helps prevent bids based on expectations that may later prove difficult to sustain.
Competition is a central safeguard of the public interest. A process with relevant requirements, sufficient information, and clearly established criteria allows proposals to be compared on a common basis. We must ensure that technical requirements establish a bidder’s actual capacity to build, operate, and maintain services, and that the economic evaluation considers the implications over the contract terms. The quality of the selection process directly influences subsequent performance.
During implementation, my approach is to translate broad commitments into clear indicators. Social safeguards must be incorporated from the preparation stage. This requires assessing how charges, operational changes, or construction works will affect users and communities.
6. Tenders attract interest from domestic and international companies. What level of participation are you seeing, and how does this position the country as a reliable destination for infrastructure projects?
We are seeing interest that must be seen in terms of actual participation and the maturity of each opportunity. In infrastructure, consultations and meetings are useful for understanding the market; technically qualified bids and financial commitments provide a more precise measure of investor response. That is why I believe it is important to communicate the results of each procurement process using its own data and context, preserving the confidence that rigorous institutional information builds.
Port Samaná, a modern maritime facility created by converting a former cargo port into a modern cruise terminal, provides an example of private participation in a port and tourism initiative formalized under Law 47-20. Its award to the ITM Port Investments Consortium demonstrates that the framework can lead to a contractual partnership to develop tourism infrastructure of this kind. Alongside first-class facilities for welcoming cruise passengers, the project incorporates a theme park celebrating our Dominican identity and is expected to mark a turning point in the socioeconomic development of our country’s northeastern region.
The country’s standing is strengthened by consistent institutional practices, like clear processes, well-founded decisions, and follow-up on commitments. International promotion gains credibility when it can point to accessible project records and a track record of delivery. At the DGAPP, our work must enable an interested investor to move from learning about an opportunity to examine it with sufficient information and, when appropriate, submitting a competitive proposal.
7. What role do PPPs play in financing the Goal DR 2036 agenda and addressing the country’s substantial sustainable infrastructure needs?
PPPs can contribute to Goal DR 2036 by directing investment and management capabilities toward infrastructure and services that raise productivity. The agenda championed by President Luis Abinader aims to double the size of the economy in real terms by 2036. Achieving this requires better conditions for production, transport, innovation, and job creation. From this perspective, a PPP portfolio should be appreciated by its contribution to the country’s capabilities and people’s well-being.
Their role is to make easier private capital participation in projects whose revenue and risk structures can be made. At the same time, we must identify the funding sources that will sustain the service throughout the contract term.
For the DGAPP, alignment with Goal DR 2036 means supporting more systematic project preparation and monitoring that allows benefits to be verified. I consider it essential for initiatives to establish a baseline and clear objectives so that institutions can evaluate their results. Capital mobilization must be accompanied by public-sector capacity to measure, supervise, and learn from implementation.
8. This supplement is being published in conjunction with the World Governments Summit in Dubai, in a region investing heavily in PPPs worldwide. Why is the Dominican PPP portfolio a natural fit for Gulf sovereign wealth and infrastructure capital in ports, roads, airports, and energy?
The Dominican Republic offers an opportunity to connect identifiable development needs with capital committed to the long-term. For Gulf investors, it is worth exploring how their financial and operational expertise can be applied to projects that strengthen the country’s connectivity, services, and productive capacity. That fit must be established through an assessment of each opportunity, considering its scale, revenues, and public benefit.
Our location in the Caribbean region opens up opportunities in logistics. Tourism and productive activity create demand for connectivity and complementary services. There is also potential in ports, roads, airports, energy, health, education, water, and sanitation, where sovereign wealth and infrastructure funds can draw on long investment horizons, strong governance, and predictable cash flows.
We also see scope for partnerships between international investors and Dominican companies, as well as participation by financiers with infrastructure expertise. These arrangements can bring together local knowledge, technology, and capital.
Our outreach to the Gulf, as to all our key audiences, is grounded in specific information, including a project’s stage of development, available studies, the procurement framework, and the conditions for participating in the process. Dialogue helps us understand what investors need to assess an opportunity and what conditions the state requires to safeguard services.
The World Governments Summit provides an ideal occasion to introduce this vision of collaboration and institutional learning.
My invitation is to look the Dominican Republic with a long-term perspective and identify projects where the expertise of Gulf partners can create value.
9. For a Gulf investor considering the country for the first time, what safeguards and support does the DGAPP offer to participate confidently in a PPP competitive process?
The Dominican Republic has a demonstrated, decades-long record of political stability, economic growth, and legal certainty.
In terms of legal safeguards, the Act 47-20 on Public-Private Partnerships provides a clear institutional track, with solid rules and transparent decisions.
An investor entering the market for the first time needs to know which body makes decisions, which documents must be submitted, and what conditions govern the process. While ensuring equal treatment for all interested parties, the DGAPP can provide guidance on the PPP framework, information channels, and stages of participation.
The starting point is to review the PPP projects portfolio. A proposal under evaluation is subject to different conditions from a project for which a tender has been issued. When a procurement process is open, the official documents set out the eligibility requirements, selection criteria, and proposed obligations.
Institutional support should facilitate understanding and coordination. During a tender process, substantive clarifications must be handled through the established channels so that all participants have equal conditions in preparing their bids. In terms of legal certainty, the Act 47-20 allows parties to agree on alternative dispute resolution mechanisms, including arbitration.
Our aim is for investors to find a professional public-sector counterpart and information they can verify. Long-term trust is strengthened when both parties understand their responsibilities, perform honestly and have mechanisms for resolving differences.
10. Finally, what message would you like to share with Gulf News readers? Why does the Dominican Republic’s public-private partnership framework offer Gulf investors a transparent, structured gateway to participate in the development of the country’s infrastructure?
Answer. I would invite Gulf News readers to explore opportunities in the Dominican Republic with the depth of analysis that a long-term investment decision deserves. Our country needs to continue expanding its infrastructure and improving the quality of its services, and it values partners who can contribute capital, technology, and expertise.
The PPP framework offers a structured way to assess public needs and define the terms of collaboration. For investors, it provides an identifiable pathway through evaluation and procurement; for the state, it requires justification of the project’s merits and the establishment of verifiable obligations.
Under President Luis Abinader’s leadership, the development agenda promotes closer coordination between public and private sector capabilities to advance toward the 2036 goals. At the DGAPP, we contribute to that vision by strengthening the PPP system and preparing opportunities aligned with national priorities.
My final message to Gulf investors is that the Dominican Republic is open to building responsible, lasting investment relationships. The DGAPP’s mission is to help provide a transparent, well-structured institutional pathway for those relationships. We want every project that moves forward to deliver a reliable service, better-preserved public assets, and development opportunities for communities. This combination provides a sound foundation for trust between the country and its international partners.
