SANTO DOMINGO.– The Government and the National Association of Gasoline Retailers (Anadegas) agreed to a 30-day period to find a solution to the conflict over commissions applied to card payments, putting on hold the measure announced by the union to remove the card readers from its fuel stations.
The information was released by the Government, after a meeting led by the Minister of Industry, Trade and SMEs, Eduardo "Yayo" Sanz Lovatón, along with the president of Anadegas, Juan Elías Pérez, and representatives of the public and commercial sectors.
With this agreement, consumers will be able to continue making card payments at Anadegas-affiliated stations while negotiations between the parties continue.
They are looking for a way out of the conflict
During the meeting, Anadegas explained that two weeks ago he had requested the intervention of the authorities to address the commissions charged by the companies that manage the electronic payment terminals.
According to the trade association, these commissions range between 1.95% and 2.50% per transaction and, added to the increase in fuel prices in recent months, have considerably raised the financial costs faced by retailers.
The government will continue the dialogue process
As part of the agreement, the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and SMEs (MICM) reported that it will continue the mediation process and will convene the companies that provide electronic payment services to incorporate them into the talks and seek a consensual solution.
Anadegas had initially announced the removal of payment terminals from more than 780 gas stations as a form of protest, arguing that the commissions significantly reduced retailers' profit margins. However, the decision was suspended after negotiations began with the government.
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