Merchants request clearer and fairer rules

The president of the National Organization of Commercial Enterprises, Inc. (ONEC), Ernesto Martínez, highlighted the fundamental role of the commerce sector in the economic development of the Dominican Republic and its potential to contribute significantly to the growth of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

In his speech, during the entity’s Ordinary Annual Assembly, Martínez pointed out that trade is one of the main drivers of the Dominican economy and a key indicator of the country’s economic dynamism.

In that sense, he emphasized that strengthening formal trade will be crucial to achieving the national goal of doubling the size of the economy in the next decade, as part of the Meta 2036 strategy promoted by the Dominican government.

“Dominican formal commerce doesn’t ask for privileges, doesn’t ask for exemptions, doesn’t ask for incentives, it asks for something much simpler: clear rules applied equitably to all market players,” Martínez stated during his speech.

In the assembly, the business leader highlighted that the trade sector is currently the largest job creator in the country, with more than 1.05 million jobs, of which more than 400,000 correspond to formal jobs.

He also highlighted that commerce is the sector that contributes the most to social security and the second-highest contributor to the State’s tax revenues.

In that context, Martínez emphasized that for the country to be able to double its GDP in the next decade, trade must also have conditions that allow it to expand its capacity for investment, innovation, and job creation.

The president of ONEC pointed out that, despite the current challenges, such as tariff, tax, and labor burdens faced by formal trade compared to national and international competitors operating under different conditions, the sector has demonstrated remarkable resilience, adapting to technological changes, new consumption dynamics, and transformations in logistical and commercial models.

Within the framework of the Meta 2036 Strategy, ONEC actively participates in the Trade Roundtable, a dialogue space aimed at defining the trade model that the country aspires to consolidate in the coming years.

According to Martinez, the goal is to build a fair, dynamic, competitive commercial sector capable of operating under clear rules that promote equity in the market.

Finally, the organization reiterated its commitment to continue working with the authorities and private sector actors to strengthen formal Dominican trade and contribute to the sustainable economic growth of the country.

“If we aspire to a more prosperous Dominican Republic by 2036, we must ensure that Dominican trade has the necessary conditions to grow, compete and innovate,” concluded Martinez.