President Luis Abinader chaired the Illicit Trade Table meeting at the Presidential Palace on Tuesday, 17 December 2024. At the meeting, participants spoke of the firm commitment of the government to fight illicit trade during 2024. In a new development, seven convictions that underscore its dedication to enforcing the law, protecting legal commerce, and safeguarding the health of its citizens, have been made.
At this event, President Luis Abinader highlighted the progress and emphasized that “these very positive results further commit us to allocating the necessary resources to continue the fight against illicit activities with determination.”
This information was provided during a meeting held in the Green Room of the Presidential Palace, where an assessment was made of the progress made in the fight against illicit trade among actors in the public and private sectors.
For his part, Minister of Industry and Commerce Victor (Ito) Bisonó affirmed that the Dominican government, led by President Luis Abinader, has confronted illicit trade with a comprehensive approach that prioritizes public safety and economic protection, and said that these measures have resulted in historic achievements, including the elimination of deaths from adulterated alcohol, demonstrating the direct impact of the government’s actions.
Bisonó presented the current situation report, providing an updated view of the challenges and progress in the fight against illicit trade, giving way to the participation of sectoral unions, where representatives from the alcohol sectors (ADOPRON, ADOFACE, RIVLAS), tobacco (ASOCIGAR, PROCIGAR), medicines (INFADOMI, ARAPF) and hydrocarbons (SEC, ADEIC) shared their perspectives and proposals.
“The results are clear: zero deaths from adulterated alcohol, six firm convictions, more than 75 million illicit units seized, and internationally recognized progress. This is a commitment to real and tangible results for the security and development of the country,” concluded Bisonó.
Meanwhile, Tomás Ayala, representative of ASOCIGAR, highlighted that “thanks to public-private collaboration, it has been possible to reduce the illicit trade of tobacco by 25% in the last four years.”
At the meeting, authorities highlighted the country’s progress against this scourge, evidenced by sentences issued ranging from two to 30 years for those who have put the lives and safety of the population at risk.
Likewise, the Dominican Republic’s exit from the United States Trade Representative’s Special 301 Watch List on Intellectual Property is evidence of the tangible results of the coordinated effort.
The Illicit Trade Table was established, coordinated by the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, and SMEs, as a coordinated effort to combat and eradicate practices of smuggling, adulteration, and falsification of products, which are harmful to both consumers and the commercial sector and contributing industries.
With Decree 405-22 issued by the Executive Branch, the Public-Private Council to Combat Illicit Trade was subsequently created for a strategic articulation of the various entities.
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El Dia
18 December 2024