Government allows Persian Market on food import permits: Retailers

Santo Domingo. – A group of retailers’ associations affected by the transfer of food import permits to the Dominican Agribusiness Board on Tuesday announced it will ask the Constitutional Court to strike down Decree 569-12, which ordered the measure, citing a violation of “the country’s consumer rights and food security."

The retailers’ associations warned that if president Danilo Medina’s administration fails to resolve the conflict within 15 days, they’ll take other actions to be disclosed during a gathering of commercial leaders from across the country 10am Sunday, August 22 at the headquarters of the Santo Domingo Wholesalers Association.

The y also demand that the farm imports commission create an effective and transparent mechanism to issue food import permits, which in their view should be more balanced and shouldn’t only benefit large importers.

Also to extend the imports commission with the participation of representatives of the wholesalers, retailers, supermarkets, farmers and the agency Proconsumidor

They say that after one year since the decree was issued, "we conclude that in a cruel and abusive manner, it has stripped the import permits from a number of companies and entities which had lawfully acquired bean, potato and onion crops, in a clear violation of the continuity of the State."

The retailers add that rumors of the "Persian Market" with import permits which operates at the Agriculture Ministry generates RD$2.0 billion, where "it’s always the same suppliers who profit."