Spanish
The Association of Industries of the Dominican Republic (AIRD), the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Mipymes (MICM), the Dominican Federation of Chambers of Commerce (Fedocámaras) and the Santo Domingo Chamber held an Industrial Meeting where the progress of the Fedocámaras Digital project was presented, an initiative that promotes the transformation of the Mercantile Registry through a unified technological platform.
In the opening words, the Vice Minister of Internal Trade, Ramón Pérez Fermín, said that "every company that formalizes is a sign that our economy is strengthening, that opportunities circulate and that we are moving towards a more competitive and inclusive country. With Fedocámaras Digital we are sowing the foundations of a more dynamic business ecosystem, where innovation, formalization and productivity become engines of national development".
"The Fedocámaras Digital project streamlines processes, allows for greater transparency, and provides legal security. That the 32 chambers of commerce have joined in this collective effort is a sign of shared vision and commitment to the country," said AIRD President Julio Brache, who congratulated Fedocámaras and the participating chambers for transforming obstacles into opportunities and standardizing criteria that especially benefit SMEs. He emphasized that an efficient mercantile system is the basis upon which investor confidence, the formalization of new initiatives, and business competitiveness are sustained. For her part, the president of the Santo Domingo Chamber and first vice president of Fedocámaras, Lucile Houellemont, stated that "with the Fedocámaras Digital project we have a very firm purpose. The 32 chambers are comprehensively transforming the Mercantile Registry of the Dominican Republic to promote the legal security of companies and societies, to contribute to the country's competitiveness and make it more attractive every day for national and foreign investment. We want every person who has a dream, who wants to undertake to create jobs and wealth, to find in the Santo Domingo Chamber and in the country's chambers an ally for their progress." During the meeting, the executive vice president of the Santo Domingo Chamber, Fantino Polanco, who was in charge of presenting the technical presentation of the Mercantile Registry transformation project, stated that between January and August, 163,425 transactions were carried out from the Chambers throughout the country. The president of Fedocámaras, Manuel Aníbal García, reported that between January and September 15th, 8,029 companies have been created through the single window for formalization (Formalízate), while 15,391 have been created through in-person channels, which means that nearly 35% of all formal companies created this year have been established through a virtual platform that eliminates the need for travel. A panel moderated by Mario Pujols, executive vice president of AIRD, was also developed, with the participation of Fantino Polanco, Santiago Mejía, commercial registrar, and Anthony Olivo, Operations Manager of the Chamber, where the benefits and challenges of this transformation were addressed. The modernization contemplates a drastic reduction in processing times, remote access to mercantile services, the creation of a Unified Criteria Manual for the analysis of Mercantile Registry transactions, more than 800 hours of training, more than 9,200 hours of technological development, a Digital Document Management System and a robust cybersecurity architecture. All of this represents a milestone in the formalization and competitiveness of the Dominican economy. The event was attended by the president of the Santo Domingo Chamber, Lucile Houellemont; the president of Fedocámaras and the Chamber of Commerce and Production of Hermanas Mirabal, Manuel Aníbal García; and the president of AIRD, Julio Virgilio Brache, among other personalities from the business sector. With this Industrial Meeting not only marks an advance in institutional modernization, but also constitutes a space for dialogue, learning and collaboration to continue building a more transparent, reliable and competitive business environment for the benefit of companies and the entire Dominican people.
