The Dominican Business Federation (FDC) has threatened to bring trade to a standstill across the whole country in January, if the authorities do not postpone their plans to install tax printers and to increase sales tax (ITBIS) on several food products from 8% to 11%.
FDC president Ivan Garcia says that if this does not happen, then from 9 January they will start to shut down businesses starting in San Francisco de Macoris, then on 10 January in Bani, 14 January in Valverde Mao and the north east, ending with a total closure of all businesses on 15 and 16 January.
He said that they were not opposed to tax printers but they were simply asking the government to postpone the installation deadline, currently 31 December, and that they meet with the traders to ensure that the conditions were right to install them at a future date.
Garcia maintained that neither the business sector nor the population as a whole were able to bear the costs of installation, which were estimated at between RD$150,000 and RD$300,000 for the business owners and which would have to be passed onto the customers.
In addition they said that increasing the sales tax on the basic family basket would be hard for the population to bear, given that their purchasing power has already reduced by 20% during 2013.
www.listindiario.com/economia-and-negocios/2013/12/17/303771/Comerciantes-amenazan-con-paralizar-sector-si-no-posponen-el-plazo-de