SANTO DOMINGO.- President Luis Abinader reported that the Government will allocate some 12 billion pesos in special non-refundable aid to support the sectors most affected by the passage of Hurricane Melissa through the country.
During a press conference at the National Palace, the president explained that the resources will benefit agricultural producers, municipalities and communities that suffered material damage and losses to their infrastructure, crops and local roads.
“The special contributions are both to the municipalities and to the affected agricultural producers. They are non-refundable and special contributions due to the effects that the storm had,” Abinader said, highlighting that this measure seeks to avoid overindebting producers. The president recalled that this type of aid has already been applied in other climate emergencies, such as during Hurricane Fiona, with the aim of protecting local economic stability and facilitating a faster recovery.
Abinader explained that, in addition to the emergency funds, a national program of paving and repairing local roads, which had been suspended due to the rains, will be reactivated. “Asphalt and water do not go well together, so we hope to start work on Friday, weather conditions permitting,” he commented.
Likewise, the Ministry of Public Works will have an additional increase of RD$1,600 million to reinforce the asphalt work, added to a previous tender of RD$9,000 million that was already scheduled before the atmospheric phenomenon.
The president indicated that the Agricultural Bank will receive a contribution of 2 billion pesos to finance the productive recovery of farmers, direct aid will be provided to the municipalities that remained on red alert during the hurricane.
He also reported that the Government has taken preventive public health measures to avoid outbreaks of typical diseases after heavy rains, while the Ministry of Education is working on a plan to recover lost school days and comply with the school calendar.
Abinader announced that the execution of the National Sanitation Plan of Cañadas will be accelerated
Chronology
Agriculture: The passage of Storm Melissa left millions in losses in agriculture.
Infrastructure: In addition, it left damage to the infrastructure of the provinces impacted by the phenomenon.
Emergency: The Government declared the province of San José de Ocoa in a state of emergency due to the serious damage from the storm.
