The Chamber of Deputies Interior and Police commission is now recommending that funds for the 911 hotline should come from money that consumers already pay to the Dominican Telecommunications Institute (Indotel) instead of the proposed additional RD$20 charge on telecom bills. On Thursday, 25 April, the legislators said instead they would assign 1% of the funds consumers already pay into Indotel.
Consumers pay the government an extra 30% on telecom service bills, broken down as 18% ITBIS, 2% contribution to the Telecommunications Development Fund (CDT) – managed by Indotel – and 10% selective consumer tax. The CDT, for example, financed the Telecommunications Museum in Santo Domingo’s Colonial City.
PLD deputy Elias Serrulle has proposed the establishment of an emergency and security hotline. The telecom element would be funded by the new mechanism.
www.indotel.gob.do/index.php/indotel/contribucion-desarrollo-telecomunicaciones