SANTO DOMINGO.- The bill would create the National Tourism Development Institute (Indetur), still under study by the deputies, who set out to completely modify it so it becomes only a coordinator of the policies applied to develop that industry, without the attributions foreseen in the initiative under discussion.

The changes would remove all the prerogatives, which by law are attributions of other government agencies, from the organism being created.

"We seek not to disintegrate an important part of what we have as institutionality, which are those agencies doing a good work in their different areas," said the deputy Carlos Peña.

Public Works minister Víctor Diaz Rúa told the commission that if there are already structured institutions for construction and they’re those which have made those infrastructures throughout the country’s history, Tourism should seek their support without creating new ones. "We agree Tourism draws up the guidelines with Public Works. If we’re going to do something in a tourism region and that Department has some opinion, then we’ll listen to them, but construction is by Public Works."

Meanwhile, Hacienda minister Vicente Bengoa, after asking the deputies to postpone the commission’s discussion on the Indetur bill for a later date, said talks should continue to seek a consensus.