Dominican Republic

The Dominican Republic has a relatively modern and comprehensive PPP framework, established by Law 47-20 (2020), which created the General Directorate of Public-Private Partnerships (DGAPP) as a specialized agency responsible for regulating, promoting and coordinating PPPs. The framework establishes clear institutional responsibilities and detailed rules for project development and competitive bidding.¹ However, experience implementing the regime has exposed procedural complexity and lengthy project-development timelines. Drawing on lessons from implementing the framework, DGAPP proposed reforms in 2026 aimed at improving the efficiency of PPP development and implementation.^2,3

Private participation in infrastructure has remained active through established concession and sectoral arrangements, particularly in energy and airports. However, the newer general PPP regime has faced challenges developing a pipeline of publicly initiated projects, while most unsolicited proposals have been rejected.⁴ In September 2023, the government signed the Puerto Duarte-Arroyo Barril cruise terminal agreement, the first PPP contract concluded under Law 47-20 (2020).⁵ Construction was underway by early 2026, while DGAPP continued to advance a broader pipeline of potential initiatives across transport, tourism, health and other sectors.⁶ This represents an important first test of the newer framework in practice.

President Luis Abinader's administration (2020 to present) has maintained an explicit PPP agenda, although evidence of broader cross-party support remains limited. The 2021-24 National Multiannual Public Sector Plan established targets for PPP awards and investment promotion, while a 2023 agreement incorporated PPPs into the Santo Domingo 2050 development initiative.^7,8 In October 2024, the government formally directed a review of PPP governance and procurement arrangements. DGAPP presented proposed reforms to Law 47-20 (2020) in January 2026, and the Executive submitted the bill to the Senate in August. The proposals seek to streamline project development and strengthen institutional capacity, but have yet to be enacted as of October 2026.^9,10

The Dominican Republic’s principal strength remains its regulatory and institutional framework (score of 88.9, 9th), underpinned by comprehensive procurement rules, clear institutional responsibilities and a specialized PPP agency with strong technical capacity. This is complemented by strong national monitoring and reporting arrangements (89.3, 2nd), including standardized monitoring of PPP contract implementation and public reporting on project progress. Project selection is another relative strength, with structured assessment and prioritization providing a solid foundation before projects enter preparation.

Overall performance across the project preparation and sustainability category ranks 14th (score of 35.9). The country lacks dedicated project-preparation facilities, funding mechanisms and standardized preparation tools, while climate resilience and social-equity considerations are only partially integrated into PPP development. Risk management is also uneven, with gaps in contingent-liability management, lenders’ step-in rights and disaster-risk provisions. Ex-post evaluation remains underdeveloped, lacking a standardized methodology and mechanisms for applying lessons from completed projects to future PPPs.

The clearest progress since the previous edition has been in the financing category, reflecting both stronger financing conditions and greater diversity in the structures and sources supporting privately financed infrastructure. Recent transactions show increased use of project bonds and multilateral financing, while improvements in country risk and debt performance have strengthened the broader enabling environment. Proposed reforms in 2026 also seek to streamline PPP development and strengthen institutional capacity as implementation of the newer framework advances.