Dominican tourist industry executives are opposing the intention of the Ministry of Tourism to expand and enforce the charging of fees. The Ministry, according to press reports, wants President Balaguer to issue a decree to confirm this practice. The Ministry has begun charging the fees in order to supplement its meager budget. Reportedly, the Ministry receives only 20% of the monies allotted to it in the National Budget.
The decree would place the charges being made for permits to operate restaurants, hotels, airlines, travel agencies, bus companies, car rentals, and other services regularly used by visitors, on a legal basis. Both Pedro Garrido, executive director of the National Association of Hotels and Restaurants and Luís José Cabral, president of the Dominican Chamber of Tourism have gone on record indicating their disagreement with the practice. Both Messrs Garrido and Cabral say that if this practice continues and prospers, it would be copied by other ministries as a response to the Balaguer administration’s reluctance to pay the monies allotted to them in the National Budget.