SANTO DOMINGO.- The government expects around US$2.4 billion in foreign investments this year, announced several officials in the National Palace last night. They include housing, with participation of entrepreneurs form Spain, United States and the country, according to the officials.

Construction on some of those housing projects is set to begin in the next few days, they said.

Tourism, free zones, mining, agribusiness, biofuels, renewable energy are among the proposed projects, standing out the construction  5,000 houses for people of low income.

The officials said the houses are the first of 100,000 that Spanish, American and Dominican companies plan to build in a period of five years, to meet the existing deficit.

The details on the foreign investments, including the construction of greenhouses, were provided in a press conference in the National Palace, by the director of Presidency’s Press Rafael Núñez; Dominican Republic Export and Investment Center (CEI-RD), Eddy Martinez; National Competitiveness Council, Andres Vanderhorst, and of Free Zones, Luisa Fernandez.

Martinez said construction of the first stage of the 5,000 houses will begin in the next few days, by the Spanish and United States developer H2, with real estate experience in the Dominican capital.

He said other projects that will generate jobs include hotels, energy, as well as US$50 million in greenhouses, to be built in different agricultural of areas the country.

The CEI-RD chief said direct foreign investment will surpass US$2.4 billion this year, with the economic perspective of sustained growth in the tourism industry and in revamped free zones.

The government officials said investment reached US$2.0 billion last year, or US$1.0 billion more that in 2007.