SANTO DOMINGO - The Dominican Association of Portland Cement Producers (ADOCEM)warned yesterday that Article 20 in the draft amendment to Law 225-20 on the Comprehensive Management and Co-processing of Solid Waste, recently approved in its second reading by the Chamber of Deputies, could open the door to the creation of monopolies and seriously distort the free market.
The organization expressed its strong rejection of this legislative amendment, stating that it violates constitutional principles and jeopardizes the competitive functioning of the market.
The article in question mandates that cement companies use fuels derived from domestic waste in their production processes. The organization argues that this requirement represents a serious violation of the freedom of enterprise, enshrined in Article 50 of the Constitution, by forcing a specific sector to depend on an input that lacks minimum conditions of supply, regulation, and reasonable cost.
“Imposing by law the exclusive use of an input without a competitive market creates a scenario conducive to the formation of monopolies, preventing negotiations under free market principles,” the association said in a statement through its Instagram account.
The cement industry association also warned that the country lacks a developed supply chain and a regulatory framework to guarantee the quality, availability, and fair price of these waste products transformed into fuel. The association indicated that this situation jeopardizes the sustainability of cement operations and could distort the market, affect the competitiveness of domestic cement, and pass on higher costs to the end consumer.
He also indicated that the proposal contradicts the principle of Extended Producer Responsibility, enshrined in Law 225-20 itself, which states that the final disposal of waste should fall on those who generate it, and not on industries that voluntarily offer technical solutions such as co-processing.
ADOCEM pointed out that no democratic country with open markets legally imposes the obligation to co-process waste, but rather promotes it through incentives, voluntary agreements and viable technical frameworks.
“This legal amendment, besides being a risky precedent for the entire national industry, is a serious threat. We reiterate our commitment to sustainability, but emphatically reject any measure that distorts the market and limits entrepreneurial freedom,” the association concluded.
SANTO DOMINGO - The Dominican Association of Portland Cement Producers (ADOCEM)warned yesterday that Article 20 in the draft amendment to Law 225-20 on the Comprehensive Management and Co-processing of Solid Waste, recently approved in its second reading by the Chamber of Deputies, could open the door to the creation of monopolies and seriously distort the free market.
The organization expressed its strong rejection of this legislative amendment, stating that it violates constitutional principles and jeopardizes the competitive functioning of the market.
The article in question mandates that cement plants use fuels derived from domestic waste in their production processes. ADOCEM considers this imposition a serious violation of the freedom of enterprise, enshrined in Article 50 of the Constitution, by forcing a specific sector to depend on an input that lacks minimum conditions of supply, regulation, and reasonable cost.
“Imposing by law the exclusive use of an input without a competitive market creates a scenario conducive to the formation of monopolies, preventing negotiations under free market principles,” the association warned in a statement through its Instagram account.
ADOCEM also warned that the country lacks a developed supply chain and a regulatory framework to guarantee the quality, availability, and appropriate price of these waste products transformed into fuel. The organization indicated that this situation jeopardizes the sustainability of cement operations and could distort the market, affect the competitiveness of domestic cement, and pass on higher costs to the end consumer.
They also indicated that the proposal contradicts the principle of Extended Producer Responsibility, enshrined in Law 225-20 itself, which states that the final disposal of waste should fall on those who generate it, and not on industries that voluntarily offer technical solutions such as co-processing.
ADOCEM pointed out that no democratic country with open markets legally imposes the obligation to co-process waste, but rather promotes it through incentives, voluntary agreements and viable technical frameworks.
“This legal amendment, besides being a risky precedent for the entire national industry, is a serious threat. We reiterate our commitment to sustainability, but emphatically reject any measure that distorts the market and limits entrepreneurial freedom,” the association concluded.
