The National Institute for the Protection of Consumer Rights, known locally as Pro Consumidor, has issued temporary shutdown orders for eight retail and wholesale establishments operating in Greater Santo Domingo, following targeted compliance inspections that uncovered multiple serious breaches of national consumer and child protection regulations. The affected businesses, including well-known local outlets such as Home Plus, AMG Mall, Plaza Neza, Tienda Rojo Star, Tienda Nuevo Mundo, Import y Export, and Sol, Playa y Arena, are primarily clustered in the Pantoja municipal district of Los Alcarrizos, with additional locations spread across other populated zones of the Greater Santo Domingo metropolitan area.
Pro Consumidor director Eddy Alcántara confirmed that the mandatory closures were formalized via official administrative resolutions numbered 1934-26 and 1935-26, implemented after a layered review process that cross-referenced on-site inspection findings with follow-up assessments conducted by the agency’s Executive Directorate and cross-disciplinary specialized technical teams. The most prominent violations uncovered during the oversight sweep include the sale of unvetted consumer products that lack mandatory official health registrations, which poses direct risks to public health and safety for local shoppers. Inspectors also documented that several of the outlets displayed restricted adult-only merchandise in public, unsegregated sections of their stores that are fully accessible to underage visitors, a practice that explicitly contravenes the national Code for the System of Protection and Fundamental Rights of Children and Adolescents.
Alcántara noted that this enforcement action is part of a broader ongoing oversight campaign targeting commercial establishments across the region. He emphasized that administrative penalties will be issued for any additional confirmed regulatory non-compliance identified as follow-up evaluations wrap up. The temporary closure orders will remain fully in effect until a specially appointed investigation unit under the Attorney General’s Office completes a full review of all alleged violations. The Pro Consumidor head reaffirmed that the agency will sustain rigorous, proactive enforcement of all consumer protection statutes moving forward, to eliminate harmful commercial practices that threaten the health, personal safety, and legal rights of Dominican consumers.