SANTO DOMINGO – The Dominican Republic Hotel and Tourism Association (Asonahores) has requested a technical review by legislators of the bill that modifies the General Law on Comprehensive Management and Co-processing of Solid Waste, approved this week by the Senate in an extraordinary session, warning that the new economic burdens it establishes could affect the competitiveness of key sectors, including tourism.
The hotel industry's position is not new. Since July 2025, when the Chamber of Deputies approved a previous version of the bill, Asonahores had already expressed its rejection, pointing out that the initiative completely ignored sargassum, despite its massive impact on tourist coasts, and that the special taxes were levied on companies based on gross income, without considering the actual amount of waste generated.
The new round of questions comes after an approval that once again surprised the sector. The bill was introduced in the Senate at the request of Senator Antonio Marte, without being included on the agenda, and approved in the second reading with 28 votes in favor out of the 32 present.
The central article under debate is Article 36, referring to the mandatory special contribution for the comprehensive management of waste, which establishes that every legal entity must pay a contribution calculated based on its annual income reported to the DGII.
The approved rates scale according to the size of the company. Entities with revenues up to five million pesos will contribute RD$3,500; those billing between five and ten million, RD$6,000; between ten and twenty-five million, RD$20,000; and those with the highest revenues up to amounts exceeding RD$675,000 annually.
Asonahores' executive vice president, Aguie Lendor, reiterated that the tourism sector supports environmental management and circular economy policies, but conditioned that support on the existence of technically sound rules.
"Sustainability and competitiveness must go hand in hand. Contributions related to waste management must be based on objective criteria and be proportionate to the actual generation of waste, guaranteeing legal certainty and equitable treatment for all productive sectors," he stated.
Asonahores' central argument, that the tax scheme based on gross income distorts the operational reality of companies that generate little waste but have high revenue, is not exclusive to the tourism sector.
The Association of Industries of the Dominican Republic (AIRD) also expressed its concern, warning that the legislation was recently amended in December 2025 and is being changed again just six months later, which sends negative signals about the country's regulatory stability and legal security.
Asonahores had previously pointed out that the company size tax should never be calculated on gross revenue, as this creates a particularly severe distortion for entities that only earn commissions, such as travel agencies and tour operators.
The position of the hotel industry was joined by 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 Inverotel.
The group of trade associations argues that any contribution scheme should be related to the type and volume of waste generated by each activity, incentivize recycling, recognize the environmental investments already made by companies, and preserve legal certainty.
The request for review comes at a time when the country received more than 11 million visitors, including tourists and day-trippers, during 2025, and the sector has more than $4 billion in tourism projects underway or in the planning stages.
In this context, regulatory uncertainty regarding solid waste, an issue directly linked to the sustainability standards demanded by international markets, generates additional concern among investors.
The AIRD indicated that it hopes to participate in the discussions, which will now go to the Chamber of Deputies, seeking to ensure that legislators have the necessary technical information to evaluate the initiative before its final approval.
Asonahores, for its part, reiterated its willingness to collaborate with the authorities in building legislation that guarantees environmental effectiveness and economic viability.
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