The executive vice president of the National Association of Free Zones, Jose Manuel Torres, says the DR has important infrastructure to produce medical supplies. The DR is the third-largest source of such supplies to the United States. He responded to inquiries by Diana Lora and Patricia Solano in an interview on 7 April 2020 on the La Cuestión radio talk show.
“We do not manufacture surgical masks. Due to the situation, several companies via instructions of their corporations, have carried out changes in their structure to produce the masks. There is a production of 30,000 a week that were mainly to be used by the free zone workers themselves,” he explained.
Torres says there are legal restrictions that make it impossible to sell free zone products locally; they are produced for export. He suggested, however, that during an emergency situation such as this, the authorities can temporarily change the rules. He said the Association is contacting the companies in zones about the possibility. Several have made donations to the government. He said there is an interest among all that a part of the production increase be sold to the local market.
Torres suggested that to lift the restriction would require a modification in legislation. He said faster results would be achieved through a Customs Agency administrative rule. Torres advocated the government allow companies to supply the local market through donations during the health crisis to get around the restrictions.
Several days ago, the cluster of medical device manufacturers said several of the items needed were manufactured in the Dominican Republic. The cluster suggested the DR could supply the local market if the companies were released from restrictions that limit their sales to the local market.
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Domiplay – La Cuestion
8 April 2020