Santo Domingo. - The Dominican exports fell 15 percent in the first quarter, hobbled by the crisis in the European and American markets, and the lack of local incentives for the productive sectors, said the exporters grouped in ADOEXPO Monday.

The group’s president Ricardo Koenig said the lack of access to timely financing, less competitive fairness compared with the region’s countries and high energy costs prevent the Dominican exporters from competing within the DR-Cafta Free Trade Agreement.

Although he didn’t provide figures on the fall of exports, Koenig said local exporters need more information from the authorities on the implementation of the industrial competitiveness and innovation law, which includes "critical" points for the unregulated users of the electrical service. "There’s a need to reduce the energy costs and to obtain an approach on the part of State so it has an export culture.”

Last week president Leonel Fernandez expressed an optimistic view of the country’s situation within the global economic crisis, predicting a growth of around 3.0% this year, despite the Government’s estimated US$900 million fall in exports and a more than US$3.0 billion plunge in imports.