Dominican businesses again complain of feared truckers’ monopoly

Santo Domingo.- The president of the country’s business leaders grouped in the CONEP on Wednesday again accused the associations of truck owners grouped in FENATRADO of establishing “monopolistic practices” that violate the Constitution, threaten the State of Law, and which in its view affect not only the competitiveness of the country’s companies, but also spur higher prices of consumer goods and hinder the spending power.

Manuel Diez Cabral said FENATRADO’s decision to increase freight fees unilaterally lacks legitimacy. “FENATRADO’s monopolistic action brings serious negative consequences in terms of cost increases for the companies making these less competitive as well as affecting the free contracting in the transport market.”

In a document, the business leader said the Dominican Constitution is clear when it specifically bans monopolies and monopolistic practices “such as FENATRADO is accustomed to, for which actions of force, legally unfounded, as this transport union exerts, when increasing freight transport fees 30% across the country, is a serious attack against the State of Law.”

“The CONEP and all associate organizations firmly reject the monopolistic action of FENATRADO and its devastating negative effects on the country’s competitiveness,” Diez Cabral said, adding that the entrepreneurial entity will make all efforts to make the state of Law prevail and the Constitution guarantees for free enterprise.

The CONEP and other business groups have for years complained of FENATRADO’s monopoly on freight hauling, but the truckers, whose power is similar to that of the U.S. Teamsters during the reign of Jimmy Hoffa, have even instilled fear on the Governments since the second era of Joaquin Balaguer (1986-1996).