In a full page paid advertisement in the press today, the Dominican Association of Customs Brokers warns that there is growing corruption in customs, discriminatory treatment of importers and an unfair collection of taxes. The discretionary application of the customs regulations by individuals who have access to insiders in the department is affecting their work and is resulting in a decline in government revenues, say the brokers. Advances that had been made in previous years are being destroyed according to the association. "It is matter of concern that in this administration, that has very good technicians, the few advances that in previous years had been made are being destroyed while sectors that require these services look on with complacency and even complicity," accuses the association. The association warns that ghost dispatchers, with the impunity of the present authorities, are subjecting importers to constant pressures that make them feel obligated to use the ghost dispatchers’ services. These dispatchers offer to clear the importers’ cargo with subvaluations, false statements and underestimated merchandise. The fake brokers take advantage of deficiencies and the absence of administrative controls in the customs system and the impunity of the authorities. They are operating without authorization from the Ministry of Finance and the Department of Customs. "By allowing the false brokers to operate in the ports, airports and fiscal warehouses, fraud, contraband and corruption in customs are being facilitated with or without the authorities knowledge, as these agents legally cannot carry out tax collection operations ," explains the organization. The brokers say that the "false agents are conspiring with employees and officers of the Customs department and are acting without any controls". The brokers say that the new "modalities of contraband are affecting the tax collections, as the money is being detoured to the pockets of a select group". The Customs Brokers Association says that the customs department has instituted arbitrary increases in valuations, re-liquidations, re-verifications, re-locating of customs declarations, that generate delays in the dispatching of merchandise and disatisfaction of our clients. This in turns forces their clients to appeal to the false customs agents to expedite the process. This practice, the Customs Brokers Association claims, affects their earnings and the state tax collections. The Association also says that the Customs Department has been hiring unqualified personnel in an area that requires precise skills. "The verifying and physical inspection of the merchandise is being carried out in a deficient way, as it is in the hands of technically incapable personnel, resulting in a decline in tax collections and obstacles to the flow of imports," the brokers accused.
