Santiago.– The president of the Association of Companies of the Historic Center of Santiago (ASECENSA), José Octavio Reinoso, supported the measures promoted by the Government to face the effects of the international economic crisis, but warned that the application of new “fiscal patches” could aggravate the situation of the productive sector, cause the closure of companies, and increase unemployment in the country.
Reinoso maintained that the Dominican Republic is going through a complex scenario due to the impact of external factors, which is why he called for unity among the different sectors and the authorities to mitigate their effects. However, he expressed his disagreement with continuing to resort to temporary tax measures to increase tax revenues.
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“The problem cannot continue to be solved by pressuring those who already pay taxes, whether they are large, medium, or small companies. What is appropriate is to combat informality so that all citizens contribute according to their economic capacity,” he stated.
The business leader considered that, in addition to broadening the tax base, the State must assume a share of the sacrifice through the reduction of current expenditure and greater efficiency in the use of public resources.
“We have always stated that the State’s current expenditure must decrease. All sectors must adjust, including the Government itself. We have not clearly seen what sacrifice the State will assume within these measures,” he pointed out.
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Reinoso insisted on the need to promote a comprehensive fiscal pact and a structural reform of the Dominican tax system, instead of applying isolated measures that, in his view, create imbalances and maintain uncertainty among taxpayers.
Likewise, he warned that a greater burden on the formal sector could translate into business closures and job losses, at a time when the economy is facing challenges derived from the international situation.
The president of ASECENSA revealed that commerce in the Historic Center of Santiago is already showing the effects of the economic slowdown. As an example, he indicated that during the Mother’s Day celebration, sales recorded a drop of between 40% and 50% compared to the same period last year.
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Given this scenario, he urged the Government to pay attention to the difficulties faced by the commercial sector, strengthen actions against informality, and promote measures that stimulate economic activity without affecting companies that comply with their tax obligations.
Reinoso’s statements reflect the concern of merchants in Santiago’s main commercial area regarding the possibility of new tax burdens, in a context marked by the slowdown of economic activity and reduced consumption.
