An editorial on 18 December 2020 by Ines Aizpun, executive editor of Diario Libre, focuses on applying the law in the “Independent Republic of the East.” She is referring to the province of La Altagracia, where the country’s main tourism destination, Punta Cana is located.
Aizpún writes about the present conflict between associations of transporters and Uber. “It is not so simple as merely a matter of who is paying taxes,” she writes. She acknowledges that it is true that Uber has to resolve tax issues in many countries and the discussion is ongoing on whether it is a tech platform or a taxi company and if the drivers are employees….
But then she drives home her point: “It operates in Santo Domingo. Why then not in La Altagracia? Then the laws that apply in Santo Domingo, don’t apply there? Are the taxi drivers in the East the powers that be or a clash force with the capacity of twisting the government’s arm? That’s what it looks like.”
She recalls that Intrant did not allow established companies such as (Metro Tours) to open routes to Punta Cana in 2018. She comments that the National Hotel & Tourism Association (Asonahores) applauds that Uber uphold the legalities now required by Intrant. But then it asks that taxis discontinue the practice of defending their market position with confrontations that damage the image of the destination and put the security of tourists at risk.
She writes warning on what is happening: “From their struggle as a union, they went on to defend a business monopoly until they made their leap into politics, from where they now dictate the rules. Some are already in Congress for that purpose, and others are running the Intrant. And remember that these groups at certain times have forced some hotels to contract their services, even preventing them from having their own system for transporting their guests.”
Read more in Spanish:
Diario Libre
Read background in English:
DR1 News
18 December 2020