DR1 Daily News - Dominican Republic

Chinese community advocates Rosa Ng and Ng Cortiñas are optimists and both are lobbying for the government to allow the reopening of many Chinese mega stores that have been closed for violating local laws. The owners and supporters complain of discrimination. Eleven Chinese mega stores of around 200 following the same structural model remain closed for violations to labor, tax and construction laws. Most of these stores had been operating for years.

An investigation carried out by Nuria Piera into the subject reveals that government institutions had been notifying the Chinese stores of the irregularities, with these paying fines for the violations. Most of the mega stores have complied with the Dominican laws and have been allowed to open.

Nevertheless, structural engineer Luis Adolfo Abbott, who participated in the inspections for the Ministry of Housing, told Nuria Piera...