Santo Domingo.– The General Directorate of Customs and Ports (DGA) and Philip Morris International Management, S.A. signed a cooperation agreement to confront the issue of contraband and counterfeit in the cigarette trade in the Dominican Republic as a result of more than 6 months working together.

The agreement is part of the process of implementing the new Customs policy regarding Intellectual Property that seeks to respond to the requirements of DR-CAFTA.

Both entities expressed their desire to promote effective cooperation between Customs and private parties for the reduction and elimination of counterfeit and smuggled cigarettes

The agreement was signed by DGA’s director Miguel Cocco, PMI MD for DR and the Caribbean region Lutfy Mufarrij and Director BI LA&C region, Andrew Robinson.

According to the agreement, PMI will work closely with the DGA to provide expert assistance to identify counterfeit products and pursue the reduction and elimination of counterfeit and smuggled cigarettes, and information and intelligence that can make enforcement of law easier.

DGA will provide Philip Morris with the number of enforcement actions involving counterfeit and smuggled cigarettes during the preceding quarter and the date, place and geographic area where each action was carried out.