The problems that tourism investors faced for years regarding property registration have decreased significantly in the Dominican Republic.
However, the sector warns that now the main difficulties are concentrated in municipal processes, especially in the approval of plans and construction permits.
This is what managers of the Association of Real Estate Tourism Companies (Adeti)when evaluating the evolution of the investment climate in the country’s tourist centers.
The entity, which is approaching 20 years old, brings together emblematic projects such as Casa de Campo, Grupo Puntacana, Cap Cana and Playa Grande and maintains that the titling and registration system has shown notable progress in recent years.
“In the Real Estate Jurisdiction we have made great progress. There is a flow of communication and quite clear processes,” said Andrés Marranzini Grullón, president of Adeti, when participating in the TODAY Economic Meeting.
He was accompanied by the directors of the entity: Yudith Castillo and Laura Troncoso, vice presidents and Michael Lugo, executive director.
He pointed out that for international buyers, who require legal security and definitive certification, the improvement in processes has been key.
He explained that historical conflicts linked to duplicities or errors in old measurements have been corrected, with the implementation of new procedures and the updating of records. “In the tourist centers where we operate we have felt agility and better service,” he stated.
Municipal processes generate delays
However, the reality is different at the municipal level. Adeti managers indicated that the greatest delays occur in the approval phase of plans and permits in the mayor’s offices, where the processes continue to be mostly manual and with criteria that are not always standardized.
“Some municipalities have robust urban planning offices and qualified staff, but others do not have the structure necessary for large-scale projects,” Marranzini said.
Meanwhile, Castillo explained that the same file may face different observations, depending on the institution that reviews it, which forces procedures to be redone and delays the investment schedule.
He proposed moving towards comprehensive digitalization and standardization of criteria, so that the requirements are uniform and compatible between the different entities involved in permitting.
He added that the key is that municipal authorizations are strictly limited to what is established in the territorial planning plans, to avoid discretionary decisions that affect legal security.
Territorial planning
On another note, the president of Adeti indicated that territorial planning is an essential guarantee for investment. Understand that having approved, transparent and coherent plans allows developers to know in advance the rules of the environment where they will invest.
He indicated that there are currently processes of consultation and updating of plans in destinations such as Verón, Montellano and La Romana, in coordination with the Ministry of the Presidency and other entities.
