Santo Domingo.- The Civil Aviation Board (JAC) reiterated today to the airlines that serve the Dominican market that they must make changes in their computer systems so as not to charge nationals and foreign residents the $10 for the Tourist Card, as ordered by the resolution 217-2022 of this body.
The information was offered by the president of the JAC, Dr. José Ernesto Marte Piantini, declaring that the Government seeks to rid the Dominican diaspora of a tax that does not correspond to it, and hopes that the airlines respond to Dominican travelers with the same support that they give each time they buy a ticket, and favor their companies.
Faced with the airlines’ refusal to make changes to their systems, the JAC indicated that they have until March 1, 2023 to implement the application of Resolution 217-2022. After said term, the airlines will be subject to the corresponding sanctions, for non-observance of the aforementioned provision.
Marte maintained that the airlines that operate in the Dominican Republic and serve this important market have received all the support they have required, “however, we are surprised and disappointed by the media campaign and the reckless legal actions that their representatives have used against the Resolution of the JAC 217-20222”, he asserted.
He added that the JAC has been totally consistent and cooperative with the airlines that serve the market and for more than 40 years has applied an open skies policy and granted prerogatives so that they can grow in our country.
The president of the JAC explains that the Dominican Republic is one of the markets with the highest growth in traffic and having granted facilities and flexibility for the growth in routes and frequencies of the airlines, “the uncooperative attitude that we receive from the Association seems totally unfair to us. International Air Transport (IATA) for the collection of an income as important as the tourist card, without affecting the Dominican passenger, who is exempt from paying it, and even more so when IATA has among its powers, to act as an intermediary between the passenger, cargo agents and airlines”, he explains.
For the JAC, this attitude reflects a totally inflexible, irreverent and uncooperative position to implement said measure in its systems, of a country that has done everything to attract them, encourage them and make its most important industry, Tourism, available to them. Is it perhaps easier to put a rocket to the moon than to make changes in a computer system to establish the non-payment of the ten dollars on the tourist card to our brothers in the diaspora? asks Marte Piantini.
The public servant explained that during this period the existing refund mechanism will be maintained, and furthermore, that the Dominican government has ordered the installation of Banco de Reservas couriers in the country’s airports, so that the exempt Dominican passenger can withdraw their refund in cash upon arrival or departure from our airports.
The JAC reiterates to the airlines the position of the Dominican Government to enforce the resolution issued by the Civil Aviation Board and that they must present a solution on their part to be able to charge only foreigners, excluding Dominicans, for which which will be given an extension of the aforementioned term.
The Civil Aviation Board, in accordance with the provisions established in its Resolution 217-2022 of September of this year, held today a meeting headed by its President Marte Piantini; Paola Plá, Secretary, Nasim Antonio Yapor Alba, JAC Member, with the participation of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the Dominican Republic Airline Association (ALA), the Dominican Airline Association (ADLA ).
As well as with the representatives of national and foreign air operators that carry out commercial air operations in the country, in order to reiterate the implementation of the government’s provision to eliminate the collection of ten dollars in air tickets from the tourist card to Dominicans.
All of the above, in compliance with the presidential mandate of the Dominican Government, with the purpose of avoiding the collection of the ten dollars of the United States of America (US$10.00) for the concept of Tourism Card in air tickets to Dominican national passengers, as well as foreigners residing in the Dominican Republic.
The Dominican State, as a member of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), follows the recommendation to ensure that the establishment of tax fees for passenger services does not cause queues and delays at airports, avoiding the collection of these fees directly at the airport terminals, thus guaranteeing the correct development of the facilitation of air transport in terms of passenger transport.
