They present DR challenges in terms of competitiveness

The Dominican Republic exhibits levels of competitiveness higher than the average of the countries of the region, according to the second version of the Bulletin of competitiveness Sectorial (BCS), published by the Ministry of EconomyPlanning and Development (Mepyd).

levels of competitiveness they are in economic sectors such as agriculture, industries, tourism, transportation and logistics, and public administration. The document also indicates that this result is also observed in the transversal axes: labor market, gender and business climate.

However, the official document details that innovation and development, and the environment, appear to be the most important challenges for the country in terms of competitiveness. In the first, only two indicators are above the Latin American average, while close to 90% showed setbacks compared to the results obtained in previous years.

Official data details that, of the 18 countries in the region considered in the global innovation index (IGI) 2022, eight obtained a score below the regional average (25.2), including the Dominican Republic (22.7). Compared to 2019, the country experienced a drop of 5.9 points, mainly explained by the decrease of 2.6 points in the creative production pillar.

Similarly, Mepyd data indicate that in the environment, 66.7% of the indicators considered are below the average for the region and only 22.2% showed progress compared to previous periods.

Official data specifies that in the general classification of the 2022 environmental performance index, which measures performance in the face of climate change, environmental health and the vitality of ecosystems, the Dominican Republic reached a score of 42.2, ranking 89th at the worldwide and 21 regionally.

In addition, the Mepyd specifies that, compared to the 2020 edition, the country reduced its performance by 4.1 points, mainly explained by the setback in the objective of the policy to combat climate change. However, progress was observed in the categories fishing, waste management, and sanitation and drinking water.

pillars of competitiveness

According to the second version of the Bulletin of competitiveness By sector, in the Dominican Republic, during 2022, the institutions and infrastructure pillars were the only ones that achieved a score above the regional average. When compared to 2019, no progress was made on any of the seven pillars.

Bad mark

In the pillars where the country obtained a poor grade were: human capital and research, where the average for Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) is 25.0, the Dominican Republic obtained 17.5. Also, in creative production. The average in LAC is 16.2 and the country obtained 12.4.

In addition, in knowledge and technology production, the Dominican Republic was below the regional average (16.3), after obtaining 13.0. Likewise, in the business development pillar, the country had an index of 23.5, when the average in LAC is 26.7. The same thing happened with the development of markets; the country was left with 27.2 compared to 28.2 for the region.

Other details that the Mepyd bulletin throws are that, even when important opportunities for competitive development are evident, the areas of industry, tourism, transport and logistics, gender and business climate, constitute the pillars of the competitiveness of the country, by positioning itself above regional levels, while presenting improvements over time.

“The impact of the pandemic and the inflationary processes derived from it had negative effects on the performance of indicators such as gross agricultural production per capita, producer prices, and employment and unemployment indicators,” the official publication states.