ProCompetencia delivers to the Executive Branch a draft bill to amend Law 42-08

Santo Domingo.– The National Commission for the Defense of Competition (ProCompetencia) formally delivered to the Executive Branch the Preliminary Draft Organic Law on Antitrust and Economic Competition, an initiative that seeks to update Law No. 42-08 General of Defense of Competition to adapt it to the current dynamics of national and international markets. The document was submitted to the legal consultant of the Executive Branch, Jorge Subero Isa, by the president of the Board of Directors of ProCompetencia, María Elena Vásquez Taveras, accompanied by the director of Promotion and Advocacy of Competition, José Beltré. Subero Isa valued the proposal and expressed his commitment to promote the project for its subsequent submission and approval in the National Congress. The reform responds to the recommendations made by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in the Peer Review carried out in 2024 on the competition law and policy of the Dominican Republic. Likewise, the initiative is part of the structural reforms considered key to advancing the country's accession process to that international organization.

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According to ProCompetencia, the preliminary draft also aligns with the objectives prioritized by the Meta RD 2036 Trade Committee, by constituting a strategic decision to modernize the national regulatory architecture, promote more open markets, and strengthen the foundations of sustainable and inclusive economic growth.

Main axes of the reform

The legislative proposal proposes a modern and technically robust regulatory framework, focused on consolidating legal certainty and regulatory predictability through clear rules, more agile procedures, and greater institutional guarantees. Among its objectives are strengthening effective competition in the markets, preventing anti-competitive practices, and fostering more dynamic economic structures. In addition, it seeks to improve the investment and business climate, reducing uncertainties and increasing the confidence of both domestic and foreign investors. One of the most relevant changes is the incorporation of prior control of economic concentrations, a mechanism non-existent in current legislation and which would allow the country to align with the best international practices in the supervision of mergers and acquisitions.

"The new law will seek not only to prosecute anti-competitive practices, but also to ensure that business freedom is a driver of growth and innovation in our economy," said Vásquez Taveras.

With this initiative, the authorities believe that the Dominican Republic is moving towards the consolidation of a more competitive, transparent, and attractive economic environment for productive investment, in line with international standards and long-term development goals plazo.