Yesterdays DR1 news:
Shops on strike in Valverde
Shop owners in the northwestern provinces of Valverde and Santiago Rodriguez began a strike yesterday morning, Tuesday 14 January, in protest at against the requirement to install tax printers linked to the Tax Department (DGII) computers and the increase in the sales tax, as part of a series of shutdowns across the country.
Several businesses in Santiago respected the call to strike and nearly all of the shops in Calle del Sol closed their doors.
According to the president of the Dominican Traders Association, the strike began at 6am and was due to end at 6pm. He said that the closures would continue on Thursday 16 January in Espaillat, and that businesses in neighboring provinces could also join the strike if they wanted to.
Traders on Calle del Sol said the country was not ready for the new system of tax printers that would cost more than RD$150,000 to install.
The strikes began last week in the provinces of Duarte (San Francisco and Macoris) and Maria Trinidad Sanchez (Nagua) and the organizers say they will continue in other parts of the country throughout the month of January. The businesses did not participate in deals offered by the DGII and now want the government to cover the cost of the tax printers, many of which cost around RD$60,000.
Comerciantes cierran sus puertas en Valverde y Santiago Rodr?guez - listindiario.com
And I can confirm that all shops, supermarkets (big and small) and colmados were closed in the two provinces.
Matilda