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Border merchants slam ‘wailing wall’ for hindering trade

Surprise is what townsfolk Comendador in western Elías Piña province express upon seeing a ‘wailing wall’ being built by the Haitian Government at the community Carrizal, some eight kilometers from Dominican Republic’s Immigration and Customs offices.

The wall’s construction has also sparked complaints from Haitian and Dominican merchants who claim that they will have to pay tax twice for the same goods, first at the country where exits and then at destination.

Elias Plña’s residents say the Haiti Government’s measure seeks to harm the already stressed relations on trade, noting that the crossing between the neighboring countries hasn’t concerned either nation for years.

Meanwhile a source revealed that the authorities and workers at the site are hostile towards the people who question the structure, unleashing several heated arguments between Dominican merchants.

Quoted by eldia.com.do, Elías Piña senator Adriano Sánchez Roa said the Haitian authorities’ measure looks to charge more taxes, which could stoke the social difficulties of Haiti’s poor even further.

"We know the difficulty which Haiti is going through and products arriving through Elías Piña are low priced and if taxes are increased they could experience increases in the Haitian market."

Mapping

In the heels of the dispute, Military Cartographic Institute director Francisco M. Corominas said they’ll render a report next week after its technicians inspect the site to determine which territory the wall occupies

Dominican Republic lawmakers welcome Haiti’s wall at border
 
 
 
 
 
Oct 15 at 6:04 PM

 
Zoom Picture Santo Domingo.- Legislators from border provinces yesterday proposed that the Dominican Government join Haiti’s initiative to build a wall to separate the two countries, as the latter is doing at the community of Carrizal, Elías Piña (west), and extend the dividing line between the island’s two nations.
 
Haiti’s Government builds a wall at the border to control the entry of, and collect taxes on merchandise from Dominican Republic, whose lawmakers legislators suggest extending the construction so the Government can control illegal migration.
 
Barahona province senator Eddy Mateo said the work by Haiti is an opportunity for both countries to agree and build a wall which defines the border line dating back to 1929 and ratified by the 1936 Treaty.
 
He said conflicts between Dominicans and Haitians often lead to attacks on agents assigned to the border. "It’s now time to reach a bilateral understanding between the two sides which puts an end to that situation, Dominican Republic must demand respect, because there’s much shenanigans and blackmailing by the Haitian Government and its authorities and we must protect with blood and guts what has cost us so much sacrifice to achieve our independence."
 
Independencia province senator Juan Orlando Mercedes said the Government should first investigate the real reason behind the wall’s construction, because the relations between the two countries have been satisfactory.
 
He said however that this is a good opportunity for the Dominican Government support the wall, but with five gates, one at each border province, and build a wide highway along the wall, to strictly control illegal migration he affirms takes place every day at the border.
 
For Pedernales senator Dionis Sánchez, the wall poses an opportunity to clearly define the situation between the two nations.
 
"I'd like to know the opinion of international organizations that permanently live condemning us and that Haiti has erected a wall unilaterally without consulting the Government, I would like to know their opinion."

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