The city of Bani has been hard hit by the closure of several, if not most of the factories in its Free Trade Zone. From an all-time high of over 9,000 workers, only 500 remain. According to El Nuevo Diario and other newspapers that reported this story over the weekend, the latest blow came when a South Korean company moved its operations to Barahona. Bani Chamber of Commerce spokesman Ofni Martinez said that the new tax reform together with the closure of most of the free zone companies has devastated the local economy, leaving poverty, suffering and crime in its wake.