The executive director of the National Competitiveness Council, Andres Van der Horst Alvarez has criticized the decision by the new owners of the Las Americas and Puerto Plata airport management concession to double airport charges levied on Dominican exporters, as reported in Listin Diario. Van der Horst called the decision a blow to exporters, saying that it affects fruit and vegetable exporters, who cannot pass the increase on to their clients. He said that the same charge in Costa Rica and Panama is just US$0.02, compared to the new US$0.04 charge in these two Dominican airports. He said that after Aerodom increased the tariff, the other private airports followed suit, "making for an oligopoly in the airport tariff charges that impedes competitiveness in the country".
Van der Horst said the DR would not be able to compete with exporters in Honduras, Nicaragua and other Central American countries. He added that this comes at a time when exports are important for the balance of payments and increasing trade deficit.

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