Thursday, a group of Haitian truck drivers and merchants blocked in protest, with trucks and for several hours, the border post between Ouanaminthe and Dajabón and the entrance to the customs facilities of Ouanaminthe preventing the entry and exit of vehicles and goods through the border crossing between the two countries.
This blockage was caused by a “disproportionate” increase in taxes that the Haitian customs authorities charge on goods entering from the Dominican Republic.
The demonstrators complained that in Haiti the price of cement had increased and to this is now added an increase in the customs tax in Haiti, they were paying 45,000 gourdes for each truck of cement and now the customs want to charge them now 70,000 Gourdes or 25,000 Gourdes more than 55% increase.
Geovanny Escotto, president of the National Transport Federation (Fenatrano) in Dajabón, said his Haitian counterparts had explained to them that the increase was ordered without notice.
The situation became tense as the Dominican border area was cordoned off by members of the Specialized Border Security Corps (Cesfront), as well as members of the Dominican army.
Protests by Haitian truck drivers and traders affected all trade activities at the border, where hundreds of Haitian buyers and sellers who entered Dajabón, were stranded until 2 p.m. when the blockade was lifted.
For the moment, the agreements reached between the Haitian customs authorities and the demonstrators to lift the strike remain unknown, however, the latter have threatened to continue their protest if the Haitian authorities do not lower taxes on goods, especially construction materials. entering from the Dominican Republic.
Leaders of the Dajabón market traders’ associations plead for a quick solution to the conflict, claiming that the closure of the border post affects traders in both countries, who have stopped receiving large sums of money when buying and selling food of various items.
