The president of the Dominican Federation of Merchants (FDC), Ivan de Jesus Garcia has gone public complaining that the CEI-RD, the government department whose charter is to promote investment and exports, is acting as a tax collection department. He complained in an interview with Hoy newspaper that instead of facilitating trade, the institution charges RD$900 to issue the document to authorize the export. He said this particularly affects trade to Haiti. He said that exporters need to pay the RD$900 for each freight truck, even if it is for the same item shipped at the same time. He urged efforts so that Haiti and the DR may sign a free trade agreement to stimulate more trade, and avoid this type of distortion.