Industries again slam the truckers’ monopoly

SANTO DOMINGO.- Dominican Industries Association president Ligia Bonetti on Sunday said the freight transport monopoly hinders the country’s competitiveness despite its comparative advantage of being at the center of the Americas.

Although Bonetti’s argument railing the often violent truckers’ unions has been expressed for decades with no apparent progress, the business leader affirms that if the sectors work together, its monopoly could be surmounted.

“If we work together, the public and private sector, to solve the problems of the land freight transport monopoly, we could be considered one of the countries with the best competitive advantage and the best logistics index of all of Latin America.”

Bonetti, speaking during the panel: “Logistic, key component to motor competitiveness” as part of the 5th Competitiveness Forum of the Americas, said the most serious problems for Dominican Republic’s exporters as the importers, as well as transport and energy costs, specifically land transport, which lacks freedom of choice.

She added that 80 percent of the land transport is controlled by the major transport group Fenatrado, which includes 35,000 truckers and 89 unions, with the remaining 20% by companies which transport their own merchandise.