Tour operators want ban on dollar-only payments repealed

Santo Domingo.- Receptive Tourism Operators Association (OPETUR)president Elizabeth Tovar on Monday asked the Central Bank to revoke its ban onveryphone terminals to pay only in foreign currency, mostly dollars.

She said the measure concerns her sector because she affirmsraises the cost of tourism products and services offered to foreigners, andharms the country’s competitiveness as a destination with regional competitors."There’s great concern throughout the tourism sector."

Quoted by acento.com.do, Tovar said payments with cards inforeign currencies via a veryphone, especially in dollars, are absolutelytransparent and verifiable by Internal Taxes (DGII).

"It’s not about tax evasion, we are talking aboutoperations that are absolutely and transparently accounted because they areunder control of the DGII. It is simply a way to ensure that there isn’t acurrency discrepancy between our receipts and payments which we will have to maketo the supplier," the business leader said.

such a measure "brings insecurity and lesscompetitive" tourism, as everywhere quotes and bookings are made in dollars,not in local currency,” Tovar said.

"Touriststraveling between the different national regions or participate in excursionsprefer to make payments in dollars or in the currency of their country oforigin. They also like to pay in the currency they understand perfectly welland that brings no additional charges when the charge in their country"