Given the need to strengthen the economy and amid the debate on a possible tax reform, the former director of the National Institute of Hydraulic Resources (INDRHI), Héctor Rodríguez Pimentel, encouraged the authorities to promote the country’s mining industry, considering it a fundamental factor for revitalization.
In this regard, Rodríguez Pimentel pointed out the importance of mining exploitation in this new stage, in which technologies allow for environmental sustainability and referred to the statements made by the executive vice president of the Association of Industries of the Dominican Republic (AIRD), Cirse Almánzar, in which she addressed the need for tax reform to improve revenue collections, and also cited statements from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which pointed out the good performance of the Dominican economy, stating that new investments are needed to continue growing.
Quoting Almánzar, the specialist referred to the current situation facing the country’s mining companies, which have reduced production due to the lack of state incentives.
He claims that this is due to the lack of State support policies and the complexity of the sector’s procedures.
Héctor Rodríguez Pimentel, president of the Partido Renovador Reformista (PRR), recalled that mining has been essential in driving the country’s development and stressed that this practice no longer involves the environmental damage of yesteryear, such as the so-called “Open Mining”, which endangered natural resources.
He reported that, currently, a company called GoldQuest Dominicana, which is seeking to conduct an environmental impact study in the Los Romeros area, in the province of San Juan de la Maguana, has encountered countless obstacles to establishing itself, despite the development that such an investment would imply for that province.
He said that some political sectors have launched a demagogic campaign: “San Juan is one of the poorest provinces in the country; therefore, we have to think about this type of initiative to improve the quality of life of the people. If this company wants to do this study to see if it is profitable, I think that the Government should give it the possibility, or the Government itself should do it,” said the engineer and journalist.
Finally, the journalist and political leader urged the Government to conduct an audit to increase tax revenues, encouraging the establishment of new areas, with mining being the industry that generates the most jobs.
“We are going to generate wealth; we must take advantage of the subsoil, taking into account environmental balance,” said Héctor Rodríguez Pimentel.
Regarding the issue, Rodriguez referred to the approach of Cirse Almánzar who predicts that, if this mining company is established, the Dominican State would receive profits of 46 billion pesos.
He assumes that this company and 20 other projects could provide the resources that the Government needs to continue developing the country.
