Dominican Republic

This Country Strategy Paper (CSP) presents the framework which will govern EU cooperation with the Dominican Republic for the period 2008-2013.

The Dominican growth of the 1990s has not translated into a proportional rise in welfare for the overall population. The country continues to display a huge gap between the level of its GDP and selected social indicators, as compared to other countries. The government has adopted a number of strategic documents on its general policies and its poverty reduction policy. The strategies are in general adequate and, if duly implemented, they would respond to the most pressing needs of the country.

The EC response strategy emanates from a consultative process among representatives from the Government of the Dominican Republic, the Member States represented in the country and non-state actors. This exchange, captured in a series of consultations, identified the economic and social challenges facing the Dominican Republic, analysed the programmes being implemented by other development cooperation partners, and focused on areas of comparative advantage enjoyed by the EC in its assistance programmes in the country.

The focal area of the EC Support Strategy for the Dominican Republic will be governance and support for economic and institutional reforms. General budget support is foreseen to assist Government's policies and efforts to achieve Millennium Development Goals. Non-focal sector support will be provided for a binational programme including local development of the Dominico-Haitian border region. In addition a Technical Cooperation Facility related to the EUR-ACP/Dominican Republic partnership is planned.

The indicative programme of EUR 179 million including the Incentive tranche is broken down as follows:

Focal Sector: 35% or EUR 61 700 000
General Budget Support: 51% or EUR 91 300 000
Non-Focal Area: 8% or EUR 15 000 000
Technical Cooperation Facility: 4% or EUR 7 000 000
Reserve: 2% or EUR 4 000 000
Grand Total: 100% or EUR 179 000 000