Santo Domingo. - The Micro and Small Textile Businesses of the Border Association warned today that if the Government doesn’t lift the ban on the import of bundles (pacas) of new and used garments to the country more than 50,000 indirect jobs would be lost in the zone, and will harm the families which depend on that business.

Organization spokesman Victoriano Melo said that informal sector moves 300 million pesos monthly, and are the main support of the border provinces and towns Pedernales, Elías Piña, Dajabón, Jimaní and Bahoruco.

He said it’s a contradiction that the authorities speak of a world crisis and decide to take way the jobs of thousands of men and women “who without committing any crime provide a living for their families.”

“It’s a situation of concern that we are living in the border, here there are people who since measure was announced haven’t been able to sleep because of the problems this entails, we don’t know what to do,” he said

“Hopefully the Government and Customs director Miguel Cocco understand that situation,” Melo added in a press conference also attended by other owners of garment micro businesses, who carried signs demanding to repeal the measure.