SANTO DOMINGO.- The National Hotels and Restaurants Association’s (Asonahores) executive vice president said “there’s incongruence between what’s done and what’s promoted” from the Government, in reference to statements by Customs director Rafael Camilo, who favors an amendment to the Tourism Promotion Law.

Arturo Villanueva complained that while the President and the Tourism Minister promote investments in the country by diversifying to real estate tourism to compete with other Caribbean destinations like Mexico, Jamaica, Cuba and Puerto Rico, the Customs chief says the Tourism Promotion Law isn’t convenient and must be modified.

He said the Government must decide on what it wants to promote and agree where it wants to attract investments. “There’s a mistaken message when on the one hand the President of the Republic and the Minister of Tourism promote a type of investment and on the other hand the Customs Director, who must enforce it, says it’s not convenient.”

The Law exempts the hotels and tourism real estate construction of all import taxes.

Villanueva said the Government must weigh what it doesn’t collect in taxes by the law and what tourism means for the economy by attracting millions in investment which motorize the economy. “The State must define towards where it directs its policies on investment and together agree to make the same promotion, because to say one thing and do another leaves much to be desired.”