Dominican Republic’s Permitting Overhaul Drives 157% Gain in Construction Investment
By operationalizing the model set out in former tech executive Rainier Mallol’s paper “The Operative Republic,” the Ministry of Housing issued 85% more licenses in the first half of 2026
Dominican Republic, 16th Sep 2026 —The Dominican Republic recorded a 157% increase in private housing investment in the first half of 2026, driven in part by a rebuilt construction permitting process. Permits rose 85%, translating into RD$3,301.91 million (USD $5.6 billion) in additional construction investment. The gains follow reforms led by Rainier Mallol, then Director of Digital Transformation at the Ministry of Housing, who rebuilt permitting around the principles set out in his paper The Operative Republic: shared digital public infrastructure spanning identity, workflows, rules, registries, paymen...