In Santo Domingo, the Dominican Republic’s leading tourism and hospitality industry body has sounded a call for reconsideration after the national Senate greenlit amendments to the country’s General Law on Comprehensive Solid Waste Management and Co-processing. The Dominican Republic Hotel and Tourism Association (Asonahores) argues that the newly approved proposal lacks the rigorous technical evaluation and cross-sector consultation that such impactful legislation demands before being enacted.
At the core of the industry’s concerns is the bill’s introduction of new mandatory financial contributions from private businesses. According to Asonahores, the text of the legislation provides no public access to supporting technical studies, sector-wide impact assessments, or transparent calculation methodologies that would back up the specific fee levels outlined in the amended law.
Aguie Lendor, Asonahores’ Executive Vice President, clarified that the tourism sector does not oppose progress on environmental stewardship. The industry fully backs initiatives that boost solid waste management and advance the transition to a circular economy, Lendor noted. However, he stressed that any new regulatory framework must be built on objective, proportional, and fair standards that deliver the legal certainty businesses need to plan and operate effectively.
Asonahores has united with a coalition of six major industry groups spanning the hospitality and tourism supply chain to push for changes to the legislation. Joining the call are the Dominican Association of Restaurants (Aderes), the Association of Casual and Fast Food Establishments (Adecor), the Dominican Association of Travel and Tourism Agencies (Adavit), the National Association of Rent A Car (Andri), and tourism investment group Inverotel.
The united coalition is calling on national authorities to redesign the proposed contribution system to align with the actual type and volume of solid waste each individual business or industry generates. They are also asking policymakers to formally recognize the significant investments many private companies in the sector have already made to develop in-house recycling and sustainable waste management programs. The coalition reaffirmed their open commitment to collaborative work with the Dominican government to craft final legislation that delivers on three core goals: meaningful environmental protection, technical robustness, and long-term economic sustainability for all affected sectors.