SANTO DOMINGO.- The bill to create the National Tourism Development Institute  (Indetur) pits Tourism minister Felix Jiménez against ministries and two departmental directors, who’ve objected the initiative which transfers part of their attributions to the new organism.

Jiménez’s defense of the legislation ignores prerogatives assigned to the Economy, Hacienda, and Public Works ministries, and at the start of talks on the initiative, with Environment.

As to the conflict, Temístocles Montás, Vicente Bengoa, Víctor Diaz Rúa and Omar Ramirez have sent letters to the Chamber of Deputies commission, rejecting numerous articles.

Bengoa went even further and asked that debates be left "for a later date," though the Deputies Commission has yet to decide on that request.

Indetur has also pitted Jimenez agaisnt the heads of the Dominican Civil Aviation Institute and of the Airports Department, who say the bill jeopardizes their agencies.

Despite the skirmishes, the Tourism chief presented minimum changes to the Commission which studies the bill, which the Senate approved without debate.