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BiggerSenator proposes upgrading Verón-Punta Cana to municipality status
La Altagracia.- Rafael Barón Duluc (Cholitín), senator for La Altagracia province, has proposed a bill to elevate the municipal district of Verón-Punta Cana to municipality status. According to the 2022 National Population and Housing Census, Verón-Punta Cana is the largest municipal district in the country with a population of 138,919, surpassing 138 out of 158 existing municipalities.
Barón Duluc emphasized that the Dominican Government needs to evaluate the resources required to support the Higüey City Council, given Verón-Punta Cana’s large population. He believes the proposal aligns with Law No. 176-07 of July 17, 2007, which outlines the criteria for creating a new municipality.
This law requires the entity to have a defined geographic, social, economic, and cultural identity, along with necessary infrastructure and conditions for sustainable development.
Verón-Punta Cana already possesses significant infrastructure, including 16 bank branches, health centers, secondary and public schools, power plants, churches, police stations, a civil registry office, and various commercial facilities. It has also developed medical tourism in recent years, further supporting its case for municipal status.
As it appears now, Higuey, the regional government center for the province and also the government body to include the court system, managing Verlon-Punta Cana activities. Higuey has been a big beneficiary of the tax revenues brought in by tourism. This setup allows Higuey to decide how revenues are dispersed and used, draining Veron-Punta Cana, favoring itself for years on end. High profile politicians from Higuey restrained any movement towards making Veron-Punta Cana a separate municipality because it would shut off their cash cow.
The Senator is correct to pursue a municipality status for Veron-Punta Cana. The zone needs the ability to decide its own affairs.