Nothing is done by continuing to attract more investment, if we do not have the necessary income to make public investments
As hoteliers assured that without tax benefits Dominican tourism would lose competitiveness and foreign investment, if the tax reform project submitted to the National Congress on Tuesday is approved, the Government announced that it has a plan to support the sector, due because this “is key” for the development of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP).
According to the Vice President of the Republic, Raquel Peña, the Government has the vision of implementing a sustainable economic growth strategy that has the chimneyless industry as its center.
Speaking at the inauguration of the XXXVI Commercial Exhibition of the Hotel and Tourism Association (Asonahores), Peña detailed that the Plan Meta RD 2036, established by the Government, aims to double the real GDP of the country, where the tourism sector will be key to that transformation.
“To double the GDP the key is precisely the tourism industry“, assured the official without offering more details of what the plan would be like that would accompany the sector that, now, would not have the benefits of the Confotur Law on promoting tourism development enacted in 2001.
He specified that the country needs to continue advancing, with more revenue and improve public spending, so nothing is done by continuing to attract more foreign investment, for example in the tourism sector, if there is no income necessary to make public investments. in favor of the population.
“We are very clear that we cannot punish one of the most important sectors in the country, so we are going to look for a formula,” he said while remembering that to make the necessary public investments, the Government needs to receive more income.
He highlighted the importance of the sector, which generates a multiplier effect in the economy, employment and public income, representing 19% of the gross domestic product of the Dominican Republic, which he assured the central government will continue to support.
For their part, the hoteliers recalled the contributions that tourism makes, in tax matters, to the country.
According to the president of Asonhores, David Llibreat least 10 out of every 100 pesos of the Government’s tax revenues are contributed by tourism activity.
He said that in 2022 the taxes generated by tourism amounted to more than RD$155 billion.
He explained that for every peso that the State frees from taxes on tourism, the dynamism of the productive chain of the sector returns 12 pesos, interconnecting with the other sectors of the economy through purchases of goods and services through purchases that amount to 139 billion pesos.
“In all purchases made by the tourism industry of recorded goods and services, the Itbis is paid,” he said.
While the Minister of Tourism, David Colladorecalled the support that the Government has given to the tourism sector, which has driven it to significant growth.
«We have overcome every difficult moment. In those moments we were there, in all the moments that continue to arise we will continue with you looking for solutions.
