European Investment Bank Moves Caribbean Office to Dominican Republic

By: - April 20th, 2013

Above: Santo Domingo

By the Caribbean Journal staff

The European Investment Bank’s Caribbean office is moving from Martinique to the Dominican Republic, the bank announced this week.

The host country agreement was signed in Brussels on Thursday by Dominican Republic Ambassador Alejandro Gonzalez Pons and Pim van Ballekom, the EIB vice president responsible for lending in the Caribbean.

The new office will be located with the European Union Delegation Santo Domingo.

“The European Investment Bank has a strong commitment to the Caribbean and supporting economic growth and job creation across the region,” van Ballekom said. “We greatly appreciate the offer of hospitality from the Dominican Republic demonstrated by the new host country agreement and look forward to increasing engagement from a more strategic location in the Caribbean.”

The EIB has provided around $1.83 billion in loans and equity investment since beginning operations in the region. Its regional office had been located in Martinique’s Fort de France since 2007.

“The government and people of the Dominican Republic look forward to welcoming the European Investment Bank regional representation in the Caribbean to its new headquarters in Santo Domingo,” Pons said. “The EIB is a key long-term partner for investment in the Dominican Republic, with a number of significant recent engagements to support investment in energy and small companies specializing in financial services within the country and across the Caribbean.”

Dominican Republic

Turks and Caicos Introduces New Tax and Revenue Collection Measures

Above: the Turks and Caicos House of Assmebly By the Caribbean Journal staff The government of Turks and Caicos is planning to introduce several measures aimed at improving revenue collection and generating new revenue. Chief among them is the planned increase in hotel tax to 12 percent from 11 percent, which will take effect July […]

Dominican Republic

Martinique, St Kitts Among Destinations For Quantum of the Seas

Above: Royal Caribbean’s Quantum of the Seas By the Caribbean Journal staff Royal Caribbean has unveiled the itineraries for its planned Quantum of the Seas megaship for 2014-2015, with a host of Caribbean destinations. The ship’s 11-night Eastern Caribbean trip, leaving out of Cape Liberty, New Jersey, will travel to Haiti’s Labadee, San Juan Puerto […]

Dominican Republic

Haiti Approves 84-Room "Monte Cristo" Hotel Project in Tabarre

Above: a rough rendering of the project By the Caribbean Journal staff Haiti’s Interministerial Commission on Investment has approved a $9 million hotel project in Tabarre. The 84-unit Monte Cristo Hotel & Suites, which is the brainchild of developer-investor Donald Max Guillaume, will be located on the road to Tabarre. According to the Ministry of […]

Haiti, Qatar Talk Tourism

Above: the meeting in Washington (MT Haiti) By the Caribbean Journal staff Haiti Tourism Minister Stephanie Villedrouin met Friday in Washington with Qatar’s Ambassador to the United States, Mohammed Bin Abdullah Al-Rumaihi. The discussions focused on reconstruction projects in Haiti and tourism investment in the country, according to the Ministry of Tourism. The meeting also […]

Trinidad's Stephen Cadiz Suggests Regional Forum on Tourism

 Above: Port of Spain (CJ Photo) By Alexander Britell PORT OF SPAIN — Echoing the recent call of the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association, Trinidad and Tobago Tourism Minister Stephen Cadiz suggested Thursday that the Caribbean’s political leadership hold a regional forum on tourism. Cadiz, speaking at the conclusion of the 14th Annual Caribbean Conference […]

Haiti to Rename Cap-Haitien Airport After Hugo Chavez

Above: the meeting in Washington (MT Haiti) By the Caribbean Journal staff Haiti Tourism Minister Stephanie Villedrouin met Friday in Washington with Qatar’s Ambassador to the United States, Mohammed Bin Abdullah Al-Rumaihi. The discussions focused on reconstruction projects in Haiti and tourism investment in the country, according to the Ministry of Tourism. The meeting also […]

Martinique Mourns Death of Music Legend

 Above: Francisco By the Caribbean Journal staff Martinique is mourning the death of a musical hero, the singer Francisco. Francisco, whose real name was Frantz Charles Denis, died Thursday morning at the age of 81 after a long battle with illness. In a statement, Martinique’s regional assembly called him “a man of many talents,” who […]