Ignacio Mendez, speaking for the Dominican industrial sector, is hopeful that within two months there will be convergence in the manufacturing sector. In an interview with Hoy newspaper, Mendez explained that the position that prevails is that we need to get closer to the export free zone manufacturing model, and not that the free zones adapt to the non-free zone manufacturing model. He said that the National Council for Competitiveness (CNC) has studied the measures that would need to be implemented for this to happen. The free zone model has been successful because it is less taxed. He also favors the elimination of exchange commission, expedite customs clearance and other advantages that the free zones enjoy.
During the same interview, businessman Manuel Garcia Arevalo advocated that consumption be taxed, not production. He said that the many taxes that affect production make Dominican industries non competitive.
And former president of the National Council of Business, Celso Marranzini told Hoy that he considers that if the application of the ITBIS in Customs were eliminated, there would be a notable decline in prices. He said the ITBIS should be a sales tax, not a tax applied during the production process.