Farmers reject new taxes, ask for assistance with upcoming FTA
2 November 2005
Farmers reject new taxes, ask for assistance with upcoming FTA
Santo Domingo.- Associations in the farming-agriculture sector today rejected some of the measures recommended by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and requested from the government to establish a program to shore the sector up, prior to implementing the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the United States.
Representatives from the sector denounced in a press conference that the proposed tax reform pretends to tax “essential” products of constant use by farmers.
The project is one of the elements contemplated within the stand-by agreement that the country signed with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) last January.
The proposal that is currently being considered by the Chamber of Deputies, seeks to make up for the resources that the nation will no longer obtain once the FTA is implemented with the United States and Central America possibly as of the 1st of January 2006.
“Instead of creating tax burdens, authorities need to stimulate competitiveness,” according to a press note issued by 37 associations in the sector.
The farmers requested from the government to create the necessary conditions that incorporate technologies to increase productivity, reduce losses and improve quality standards of their products.
