Santo Domingo.- President Leonel Fernández says that Dominicans should unite in the face of current international economic uncertainties and work together to create a consensus where all sectors agree to achieve a series of short and medium-term goals aimed at helping the country mitigate the effects of the global economic crisis.

He defended his decision to hold a summit meeting scheduled for January 28th and organized by Economy, Planning and Development Minister Temistocles Montás, and said the government would demonstrate an open and tolerant attitude towards the positions that emerge.

“We really need national unity in the face of the threat of the global economic crisis. There is not time for politicization, it’s time for national unity, we all have to take part and find ways to mitigate the crisis”, said the president, in a radio interview with journalist Huchi Lora.

Fernández added that the electricity problem is a key point on the summit agenda, as well as crime and drug trafficking, which he said are also affecting most other countries in the region.

He reiterated his concern about the lack of international cooperation in the fight against drug trafficking, especially on the part of the United States, saying that although the DR needs a radar system “they have not provided one for us”.

The president went on to justify the purchase of a fleet of airplanes from Brazil, saying that most drug shipments are brought into the country by air, and on the same issue mentioned that the Armed Forces needed to be cleaned up: “Who could have imagined that so many Naval Officers were involved in the Paya case”, said Fernández.

He recalled that the DR has a free trade agreement with the United States and despite the adverse effects of the economic crisis the aim has to be to increase exports. He went on to mention the Economic Partnership Agreement with the European Union, which will encourage Dominican exporters to diversify their target markets. Fernández also welcomed a proposal from the Institutionalism and Justice Foundation (Finjus) to discuss public spending during the summit. He said that the public spending increase was not due to a rise in the number of employees on the public payroll, but the rising cost of the electricity and GLP subsidies and international debt repayments.

Fernández expressed satisfaction at the news that the average price of petrol will be US$68 per barrel this year, which will reduce government subsidies to the electricity sector by US$600 million and will free the DR from having to rely on PetroCaribe financing. “During 2008 the high price of fuel caused a fiscal deficit” he said.