Dominican Republic’s restaurant sector requests temporary reduction of ITBIS to alleviate the crisis due to COVID-19

The gastronomic sector, made up of 130 restaurants from all over the country, asked President-elect Luis Abinader to apply urgent measures to deal with the severe crisis that is impacting this activity.

The sector begged the next president “in the interest of saving the country’s gastronomic industry” to submit to Congress laws to temporarily eliminate the advance on Income Tax (ISR) for restaurants, and also to reduce ITBIS to one 10% rate “for at least 12 months.”

With the ITBIS measure, they hope that consumption will be encouraged in the sector. They also called for a 50% reduction in bills for electricity, water and garbage utilities, even temporarily.

“The gastronomic industry is at risk, we count on your urgent intervention to together come out stronger from the great challenge we face as a nation,” 130 restaurants said in a statement published in the national press.

Another urgent measure requested from Abinader, who will take office on August 16, is the amortization of asset taxes for owners of premises leased to restaurants so that they can pass on to their tenant’s discounts on the cost of renting in 2020.

They also called for the granting of the state guarantee for credit facilities with soft interest rates for the sector.

In the workplace, the gastronomic sector asked the president-elect to grant the possibility of staggering reintegration of the workforce and, additionally, to coordinate monthly COVID-19 testing days for restaurant staff, together with the Ministry of Public health.