Book by economist Pável Isa Contreras opens space for dialogue for the necessary transformation of the Dominican Republic
The work contains a selection of 145 articles on development issues published by Isa Contreras in the newspaper El Caribe over eight years.
SANTO DOMINGO.- The book a “An Agenda for Transformation” authored by economist Pável Isa Contreras and circulated in the Instituto Tecnológico de Santo Domingo (INTEC) opened a space for debate on the public policies necessary to achieve the collective well-being of the people and the sustainable development of the country.
The work contains a selection of 145 articles on development issues published by Isa Contreras in the newspaper El Caribe over eight years.
At the launch event, INTEC's Academic Vice-Rector, Arturo del Villar, and the director of the newspaper El Caribe, Nelson Rodríguez, gave opening remarks, in which they praised the book's contributions.
Del Villar praised Isa Contreras's deep knowledge of the Dominican productive system. “Pável is a dreamer and those of us who dream always believe that it is possible to have a better country and that it is possible when we all unite and work to achieve what we want.” The university professor highlighted the book's contribution, stating that “when a country has solid and strong institutions, development is guaranteed.”
In turn, the director of the newspaper El Caribe, Nelson Rodríguez, highlighted that the book is compiled in thematic blocks and was “written from science and from academia” with a coherent thought.
Rodríguez explained that the work is a compilation of 145 articles chosen from some 450 publications and the reality they address, the objectives they outline and the national project that can be glimpsed in each of them remain the same.
"The author's credentials, a scholar of economic science, educated in national and foreign universities, a public servant and professor with a solid career, are evident in the deep knowledge he has of the reality of our productive system," said Rodríguez.
Content of the book
The work is a “An Agenda for Transformation” It was presented by economist Isidoro Santana, who defined its author as “a brilliant student at this academy (INTEC) and a profound connoisseur of Dominican social reality in its most diverse manifestations.”
He said that the articles compiled in the book “expose the complete economist, the committed intellectual who seeks to understand reality in order to change it.”
In her speech, Isa Contreras thanked El Caribe for publishing her articles that address the issues of development and productive transformation, exports and dynamic insertion into international trade, tax reform, jobs and salaries, and social policy.
He indicated that several of these topics are further subdivided into others, such as the title on development and productive transformation, which includes subtitles dealing with agricultural development and food security or industrial development.
“Development is fundamentally a process of learning and self-construction,” said economist and researcher Isa Contreras.
The book contains articles on the subject of economic models and policies in the Dominican Republic. Several of the articles question the effectiveness of these models and the policies that have promoted them to transform the economic fabric and, at the same time, generate general well-being.
As part of the event's program, the work was analyzed in a panel composed of economists Ilvin Mendoza and Emil Alvarado, as well as economists Virginia Melo and Bymayri De León, who were students of Isa Contreras at INTEC and valued the book's contributions. The panel was moderated by journalist Millizen Uribe.
“It is necessary to generate social awareness to refocus productive development,” said economist Emil Alvarado. Meanwhile, economist Bymayri De León stated that “there are shared challenges for countries, such as climate change.” Likewise, economist Ilvin Mendoza said that “higher education institutions play an important role in the development of the productive process and achieving the technological leap.”
Meanwhile, economist Virginia Melo said that “social policy is the lever to reduce social inequalities.”
The members of the INTEC Student Committee, Lisandro Matos and Steisy Minaya, spoke at the closing ceremony of the launch.
The event was attended by various personalities, including the Minister of Industry, Commerce and MSMEs, Víctor (Ito) Bisonó; the former Ministers of Economy, Planning and Development, Temístocles Montás, and Miguel Ceara Hatton; the Superintendent of Health and Occupational Risks, as well as Senator Antonio Taveras.
Author profile
Pável Ernesto Isa Contreras, Dominican, graduated in Economics from INTEC in 1988; he also has a master's degree in Economic Policy from the National University in Costa Rica, in 1994; and a PhD in Economics from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, in 2003.
He is currently Minister of Economy, Planning and Development and was Deputy Minister of Planning and Public Investment.
From the late 1980s to the mid-1990s, he worked as a researcher at CIECA, an economic think tank in the Dominican Republic, and as research director of CRIES, a Latin American and Caribbean regional network for social and economic research. He also served as an economic advisor to the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Economy, Planning and Development in the Dominican Republic.
He was the officer in charge of the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and was the research coordinator of the Human Development Office (ODH) of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in the Dominican Republic. He served as a research professor at INTEC, attached to the Dominican Observatory of International Trade.
His academic work has focused on issues of international trade, trade policy, human development, social policy and rural development. His work has appeared in academic publications of various kinds, and he has also served as a professor at universities in the Dominican Republic, Central America and at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, United States.