NGO slams government’s snoozing on border issues

Dajabon, Dominican Republic.- The organization headed by the Order of the Jesuits that helps Haitian migrants on Monday called the binational market a source of livelihood for many people and a boost to the economies of both Dajabon on the Dominican side of the border, as well as Ouanaminthe, on the Haiti side.

Border Solidarity (SJRDAJ) said the market moves more than RD$100 million every week, much of which spent on goods and products which Dominican retailers sell. “In turn, this binational border trade has to be more equitable, legal and fair. First, there must be greater transparency and investment from the taxes collected and there’s also a need for greater inclusion of small vendors and less protectionism against imports from both sides.”

In a statement, the SJRDAJ said to prevent and solve problems, “we need for Santo Domingo and Port-au-Prince to activate the Joint Bilateral Commission, whose enactment has run into a showing of talk-and-no action from the echelons of both States.”

The charitable organization added that the various elected governments on both sides of the border, despite the more than 15 years since first proposed, haven’t even come close to empowering the Bilateral Commission, “without a single effort to deal with the daily problems of immigration and border issues.”