Dominican Republic boosts shopping tourism with tax refunds

The Senate of the Republic approved on second reading the bill on the Refund of the Tax on the Transfer of Industrialized Goods and Services (ITBIS) to foreign tourists, thus promoting the country as a tourist shopping destination and making it more competitive.

According to the bill, the piece of legislation will stimulate and increase the consumption by tourists of products made in the Dominican Republic since the tourism sector is one of the sectors with the greatest potential in the country.

The regulation, presented by the vice-president of the Senate, Santiago Zorrilla, aims to refund ITBIS to foreign tourists and non-residents in the country who make purchases of nationally produced or imported goods and to establish sanctions for those who falsify information for such refunds.

Likewise, the Senate approved on second reading the bill of Incentive to the Nautical Tourism of Recreation, an initiative of senators Alexis Victoria (María Trinidad Sánchez) and Ginnette Bournigal (Puerto Plata).

The legislative piece aims to promote nautical tourism through the regulation of navigation in boats and nautical devices that, for recreational, private, commercial, and sporting purposes, are carried out in waters under national jurisdiction; it also includes aspects related to the registration, construction, and repair of vessels, as well as the promotion and incentives related to this activity.

During the legislative work, the bill that declares San Cristóbal as an Ecotourism Province, proposed by Senator Franklin Rodríguez, was also approved in the second reading. The purpose of the bill is to promote the conservation and sustainable use of natural resources and the promotion of cultural manifestations for the benefit of the economic and social development of San Cristóbal.