The Dominican Exporters Association (ADOEXPO) protested the recent presidential decree that establishes a US$95 fee for load verification using X-rays. Exporters claim this measure will affect them in a significant matter since imported raw materials are also subject to a $25 verification fee. Representatives from ADOEXPO emphasized that the fiscal burden on their sector has a negative effect on their competitiveness in an evolving global economy and that if the authorities truly want to maintain a stable currency, their focus must be on encouraging exports. Presently, exporters are affected by a 4.75 percent currency exchange tax, a 1.5 percent non-refundable minimum income tax, and a 12 percent sales tax on purchased materials, which according to the law should be refunded by the government, but this has yet to be seen.
