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PUERTO PLATA.- According to the Ministry of Tourism, during November a total of 46 cruise ships will touch the destination Puerto Plata maintaining its hegemony in that area. Of those 46 tourist ships, 22 will dock at the Amber Cove port of Maimón, operated by Carnival Corporation, while the remaining 24 will arrive at the Taíno Bay terminal in the same bay of this Atlantic city, under the management of ITM Group.
“This volume of arrivals reaffirms the position of Puerto Plata as a key destination for the cruise industry since the Dominican Republic continues to consolidate itself as the main hub for cruises in the Caribbean,” said Atahualpa Paulino, who is the Regional Director of Northern Tourism. Paulino said that thanks to the determined support of the Government and the Minister of Tourism, our country maintains the projection of receiving 11.5 million visitors by the end of this year, despite a 2% drop in the arrival of non-resident tourists who entered the country by air. The official explained that this contraction was cushioned by the arrival of cruise passengers, which totaled 111,701 by October for a total of more than eight million visitors, which represents an increase of 10% compared to the first nine months of this year. Statistics from the Ministry of Tourism indicate that the local market is nourished by the main tourist-issuing countries, which are the United States with 39%, Canada with 9%, Colombia with 8%, followed by Argentina – 6% and England – 4%.
Source: Puerto Plata Digital
Nov 5, 2024
The Dominican Republic signed eight new bilateral aviation agreements during the ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) Air Services Negotiation Event (ICAN2024) that took place 21 to 25 October 2024 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
The Dominican delegation at the ICAN 2024 formalized agreements with Singapore, Surinam, Switzerland, Cuba, Egypt, the United Kingdom, Greece, and Latvia. These agreements allow for the exchange of air traffic rights, granting up to fifth freedom rights for passengers and seven freedom rights for cargo flights, intended to boost both trade and tourism. Additionally, the agreements include provisions for airlines from both parties to operate under codeshare arrangements, aircraft leasing, and other cooperation agreements.
Hector Porcella, the director of the Civil Aviation Institute (IDAC) and head of the ICAN 2024 delegation, explained that the DR with eight international airports is a key player in regional and global aviation. Porcella said there are direct air connections with 70 countries and 300 cities, served by more than 150 international airlines. “Our connectivity is a demonstration of our commitment to facilitate travel and global tourism,” he highlighted. Porcella stressed the importance of continuing to expand the country’s air connectivity and establish strategic relations to benefit passenger and cargo transportation.
Porcella also confirmed the Dominican Republic would host the 17th ICAO Air Services Negotiation Event (ICAN 2025) in 2025.
The ICAN Aviation 2025 Conference is a global forum for discussing the future of aviation, with a focus on innovative technologies, sustainable practices, and industry trends shaping the sector over the next decade. The conference typically brings together experts, thought leaders, and stakeholders from across the aviation ecosystem to share insights, best practices, and vision for a more connected, efficient, and environmentally responsible aviation industry. Attendees engage in knowledge-sharing sessions, workshops, and networking opportunities to drive collaborative innovation and set the agenda for aviation’s future.
ICAN is regarded as an efficient platform for conducting air services negotiations. Since its inception, the number of countries that use this facility has steadily increased. So far more than a total of 162 states have participated in and benefited from ICAN at least once.
Source: DR1, Presidency
Nov 5, 2024
Aerodom/Vinci Airports reports on the advances at the Las Americas International Airport (SDQ) that will be completed in time for the December peak travel. The improvements include the expansion of the parking facilities with new long-term parking lots and renovations in the departures and arrivals areas, including a larger migration area to streamline passenger processing.
Aerodom is designing a new passenger terminal to accommodate double-digit growth in passenger traffic. Construction is set to begin in 2025, with a planned investment of $250 million and a capacity of 4 million passengers annually.
Source: DR1, IDAC
Nov 5, 2024
It is no secret that the traffic situation in Santo Domingo is horrible. The unpublished truth is that the present and past governments have been major contributors to the problem. The government commercial bank, Banco de Reservas, has sponsored dozens of “car fairs” over the years, offering the lowest market interest rates for people to purchase cars. Other leading banks have followed. Car vending businesses are all over the cities.
The local economic bonanza, combined with low bank rates for car purchases, has made roads a nightmare for commuters.
A recent report in Diario Libre says the Dominican Republic is third in Latin America in the number of vehicles per inhabitant. There are 507.8 motorized vehicles per 1,000 inhabitants in the Dominican Republic. The per capita places the DR only behind Argentina (590 per 1,000), Brazil (521 per 1,000), and Mexico (286 per 1,000), three countries that are major exporters of vehicles.
Constant honking, ever-lasting traffic jams, and a general lack of knowledge of the “rules of the road” characterize driving in the Dominican Republic. Trying to get anywhere is a nightmarish adventure, and one’s bodily safety is often at risk. Traffic jams happen most of the day, with some breathers at odd times.
An expert in sustainability and a businessman, have come together to offer some possible solutions. Above all, there is the issue of safety. This is because walking has become an unsafe activity in much of the nation’s biggest urban areas. And so, restructuring transportation begins with safety.
For Javier Bonett, a businessman, the government must prioritize the safety of its citizens to create a complete renewal of its transportation and traffic issues. For Bonett, the Santo Domingo Metro system is not working as well as it should because the government has skipped several important steps.
One of the areas criticized is the overcrowded condition of the Metro units. The sustainability expert, Alex Ramirez, told reporters from Hoy newspaper, that he and Bonett agree that to alleviate the situation, the government needs to install more modern systems, such as mag-lev trains and elevated trains which offer modern alternatives and are safe and have high carrying capacity. These high-tech solutions, according to the opinion of Ramirez and Bonett have been overlooked for too long by the competent authorities.
Source: DR1, Hoy
Nov 5, 2024
President Luis Abinader announced on Monday, 4 November 2024, that the government will launch the AlertaDO app to provide early and timely warnings and responses to the population in the event of emergencies or critical situations that require immediate action.
Juan Salas, president of the National Emergency Commission and executive director of Civil Defense, explained in La Semanal press conference on Monday, 4 November 2024, that the app will be used to send notifications to groups of users based on their registered location. This will allow emergency response teams to quickly send and receive messages during local emergencies.
“This information will allow citizens to inform us with just two clicks on their mobile phones about what is happening in their area, which will enable us to respond more effectively in emergency situations,” said Salas.
The initiative, set to be completed by the end of November 2024, has the backing of the Dominican Institute of Telecommunications (Indotel), the Technological Institute of the Americas (ITLA), and the European Union.
Source: DR1, Noticias SIN
Nov 5, 2024
Haiti has accepted an extension of the deadline for the labeling of goods in French or Creole for sale in Haiti. The Customs authorities in Haiti had banned the entry of goods that were not labeled in these languages as of the start of this month, giving only a few days of notice.
The Haitian government is now giving until 3 January 2025 for the labeling in French or Creole.
Source: DR1, DiaroLibre
Oct 23, 2024
The Ministry of Interior & Police signed an agreement with the Dominican Telecommunications Institute (Indotel) to ensure 63 police stations nationwide have broadband Internet connections. The first will be installed on 11 November 2024 in Cristo Rey, a densely populated National District neighborhood.
Interior and Police Minister Faride Raful and Indotel board president Guido Gomez Mazara signed the agreement.
The agreement also includes a chapter to fund the training of Police officers on how to use the Internet effectively.
Source: Ministry of Interior & Police
Oct 23, 2024
The latest government push to repatriate tens of thousands of undocumented migrants also faces the reality of recidivism of those who have been deported. This reality is being addressed by a proposed amendment to Migration Law 285-04 currently under review and modification in Congress.
The Senate has a proposal that seeks to punish a person who has been deported and returns to the Dominican Republic with fines and possible imprisonment of up to 90 days. The fines and possible imprisonment are on an escalating scale, going from two to five minimum wages and 15 to 30 days in jail for first offenders, to 10 to 20 minimum salaries in fines and up to 90 days in jail or both for third-time offenders.
The legislative proposal also stipulates that if the returnee has been convicted of a crime that originated the deportation in the first place, then the fines are 10 to 20 minimum wages and up to two years in prison or both. In another section of the proposal, the legislators call for fines of up to 50 public sector minimum wages and anywhere between three to five years in prison, or both penalties simultaneously. The proposal also eliminates two legislators from being part of the National Council on Migration.
The Migration Agency says it has “redirected” 23,535 Haitians in the first 17 days of October. Of this total, 15,488 were deported migrants who were detained for lacking the necessary authorization for their legal stay in the country.”
There is a 391 km border with Haiti with fences in areas of less than 30 km of the extension. On market days, entry is free to the Dominican Republic, with no one checking who goes back. The pressure
for Haitians to migrate is on the rise, as little has been done to improve security and social services in Haiti. A minority of Haitians have legal documents, a situation that creates major problems when they migrate to the Dominican Republic.
Source: DR1, Listin Diario
Oct 23, 2024
The Tax Agency (DGII) announces the renewal of the vehicle circulation tax starting 22 October 2024. The cost of the tax is the same as in 2023. The government had proposed to double the tax, but this increase was postponed after President Luis Abinader announced on Saturday he would retrieve the proposal sent to Congress to increase taxes.
The tax when originally drafted had taxed vehicles based on their market value. This was later changed to two basic taxes, one for old vehicles and another for new ones.
The DGII says as of 22 October 2024, people may request the 2024-2025 vehicle circulation tax, commonly known as the “marbete”. This renewal process covers 1,893,024 eligible vehicles and is expected to generate RD$3,137,673,000 in revenue.
The DGII confirmed that the tax rates for the marbete will remain unchanged from the previous period:
• Vehicles manufactured up to 2019: RD$1,500.00
• Vehicles manufactured in 2020 and later: RD$3,000.00
In a press release, the tax agency stated that the renewal process will be available at 49 financial institutions with 859 branches nationwide, as well as at the DGII tax offices in Villa Vásquez, Montecristi province, and Sánchez, Samaná province, until Friday, 31 January 2025.
Additionally, taxpayers can renew their circulation permit online through the DGII’s website and mobile app starting from the beginning of the renewal period until Sunday, 19 January 2025.
Source: DR1, DiarioLibre
Oct 23, 2024
