National Police Director, Major General Ney Aldrin Bautista, has announced that the National Federation of Dominican Transport (Fenatrado) has ordered its members to lift their forceful ban on merchandise transported to and from ports that had began last Monday, 11 December 2017. The latest conflict erupted when Malespin construction company, that is carrying out works in Montecristi, decided to use their own trucks and not contract the services of Fenatrado affiliates. Fenatrado truckers reacted blocking transit and impeding the flow of port cargo at Haina Port in Santo Domingo.
Police director Bautista said that he was informed of the decision following a meeting with the deputy police director and the president of Fenatrado but the government would continue to leave police officers at the docks.
Minutes before the decision, Bautista had guaranteed the National Business Council (CONEP) that they would have free access to their cargo transport across the country.
The Police and the Armed Forces announced they would protect cargo owners that choose to transport their own loads and not use the services of Fenatrado truckers.
According to Pedro Brache, Conep president, the strike caused delays of more than 9,000 containers waiting with a value of over US$400 million, including perishables.
Meanwhile, the president of the National Shippers Association (ANRD), Teddy Heinsen, called for the government to give thought to address the situation. He said that this week it was Montecristi, last week Cotui, also in Hato Mayor… “Fenatrado virtually controls the activities of all companies and we are effectively unable to transport our own cargo,” complained the president of the shippers.
He said on numerous occasions they have asked for the intervention of the Dominican state. He highlighted the government should think about the damages that the situation causes to the country, by not permitting importers and exporters to transport their cargo. He said government tax collection is interrupted, plants are stopped for lack of supply of raw materials and relationships with international trading partners and the competitiveness of local products and services suffer on a national and international level.
The 90,000 truckers affiliated to Fenatrado have maneuvered to control 80% of the 35 million tons of cargo transported to and from Dominican ports, as reported in Diario Libre. Fenatrado decides the rates and has imposed these by vandalism, with the past complacency of the Dominican government. The former president of Fenatrado, Blas Peralta is in jail sentenced to 30 years for murder of former UASD rector Mateo Aquino Febrillet during the 2016 general election when he sought to be named candidate to senator for San Cristobal.
Read more in Spanish:
Listin Diario
Listin Diario
El Dia
Diario Libre
Diario Libre
14 December 2017
