According to Dominican Foreign Investment Companies Association executive director Pablo Linares, free trade agreements with the US and central America, implemented in March 2007, will make way for increased levels of foreign investment.

Mr Linares said that the telecoms and tourism sectors were driving foreign capital flows into the Dominican Republic.

He said the origin of foreign investment in the country was largely the US, followed by Canada and more recently Mexico, with new investments in telecoms from America Movil and in the cement industry from Cemex.