Amber jewelry maker, Eddy Abikaran, says there is a monopoly on the mining of amber, coral and larimar which affects the government, as more than US$5 million is sold illegally to international buyers. Mr Abikaran, in the newspaper Hoy, condemned the fact that the government is unable to collect taxes on illegal sales being made of the semi-precious stones to Taiwan, the United States, and Europe. He says the marketing of the stones are in the hands of a local monopoly made up by Chinese, Italians, Spaniards and Dominican Yorks that control the areas where these gems are mined. He complained that, as a result, over 350 small and medium sized work shops have closed because they are unable to compete.