Investment Incentives

Investment incentives exist in various sectors of the economy, which are available to all investors, foreign and domestic.  Incentives typically take the form of preferential tax rates or exemptions, preferential interest rates or access to finance, or preferential customs treatment. Sectors where incentives exist include agriculture, construction, energy, film production, manufacturing, and tourism.

Foreign companies are not restricted in their access to foreign exchange.  There are no requirements that foreign equity be reduced over time or that technology be transferred according to defined terms.  The government imposes no conditions on foreign investors concerning location, local ownership, local content, or export requirements.

The Renewable Energy Incentives Law No. 57-07 provides some incentives to businesses developing renewable energy technologies.  Foreign investors praise the provisions of the law, but express frustration with approval and execution of potential renewable energy projects.

Special Zones for Border Development, created by Law No. 28-01, encourage development near the economically deprived Dominican Republic-Haiti border.  A range of incentives, largely in the form of tax exemptions for a maximum period of 20 years, are available to direct investments in manufacturing projects in the Zones.  These incentives include the exemption of income tax on the net taxable income of the projects, the exemption of sales tax, the exemption of import duties and tariffs and other related charges on imported equipment and machinery used exclusively in the industrial processes, as well as on imports of lubricants and fuels (except gasoline) used in the processes.

Incentives for manufacturing apply principally to production in free trade zones (discussed below) or for the manufacturing of textiles, clothing, and footwear specifically under Laws 84-99 and 56-07.  Additionally, Law 392-07 encourages industrial innovation with a series of incentives that include exemptions on taxes and tariffs related to the acquisition of materials and machinery and special tax treatment for approved companies.

Tourism is a particularly attractive area for investment and one the government encourages strongly.  Law 158-01 on Tourism Incentives, as amended by Law 195-13, and its regulations, grants wide-ranging tax exemptions, for fifteen years, to qualifying new projects by local or international investors.  The projects and businesses that qualify for these incentives are: (a) hotels and resorts; (b) facilities for conventions, fairs, festivals, shows and concerts; (c) amusement parks, ecological parks, and theme parks; (d) aquariums, restaurants, golf courses, and sports facilities; (e) port infrastructure for tourism, such as recreational ports and seaports; (f) utility infrastructure for the tourist industry such as aqueducts, treatment plants, environmental cleaning, and garbage and solid waste removal; (g) businesses engaged in the promotion of cruises with local ports of call; and (h) small and medium-sized tourism-related businesses such as shops or facilities for handicrafts, ornamental plants, tropical fish, and endemic reptiles.

For existing projects, hotels and resort-related investments that are five years or older are granted 100 percent exemptions from taxes and duties related to the acquisition of the equipment, materials and furnishings needed to renovate their premises.  In addition, hotels and resort-related investments that are fifteen years or older will receive the same benefits granted to new projects if the renovation or reconstruction involves 50 percent or more of the premises.

Finally, individuals and companies receive an income tax deduction for investing up to 20 percent of their annual profits in an approved tourist project.  The Tourism Promotion Council (CONFOTOUR) is the government agency in charge of reviewing and approving applications by investors for these exemptions, as well as supervising and enforcing all applicable regulations.  Once CONFOTOUR approves an application, the investor must start and continue work in the authorized project within a three-year period to avoid losing incentives.

The government does not currently have a practice of jointly financing foreign direct investment projects.  However, in some circumstances the government has authority to offer land or infrastructure as a method of attracting and supporting investment that meets government development goals.  In January 2020, the government announced a special development plan to encourage high-quality investment and infrastructure development in Pedernales and the southwest region of the country, with an emphasis on inclusive and sustainable development. Also, in February 2020, the government passed a law on public-private partnerships that may encourage high-quality infrastructure projects and help catalyze private sector-led economic growth, but implementation is still pending, and it is not yet clear whether it will apply to sectors other than infrastructure.  The Dominican government does not currently offer special incentives for foreign businesses investing in women-owned or women-led projects, but the country’s development goals prioritize support for small businesses, particularly women-owned businesses, and the government offers numerous programs through CEI-RD and the Ministry of Industry and Commerce to support women entrepreneurs.

Foreign Trade Zones/Free Ports/Trade Facilitation

The Dominican Republic’s free trade zones (FTZs) are regulated by the Promotion of Free Zones Law (No. 8-90) of January 15, 1990, which promotes the establishment of new free zones and the development and growth of existing zones.  The law also provides for 100 percent exemption from all taxes, duties, charges, and fees affecting production and export activities in the zones. These incentives are for 20 years for zones located near the Dominican-Haitian border and 15 years for those located throughout the rest of the country.  The National Council of Export Free Trade Zones (CNZFE) is the official authority that regulates compliance with Law 8-90, on Free Trade Zones and is composed of representatives from the public and private sectors, chaired by the Minister of Industry and Commerce.  This body has the objective of delineating policies for the promotion and development of Free Zones, as well as approving applications for operating licenses, with discretionary authority to extend the time limits on these incentives. Products produced in FTZs can be sold on the Dominican market, however, relevant taxes apply.

In general, firms operating in the FTZs report fewer bureaucratic and legal problems than do firms operating outside the zones.  Foreign currency flows from the FTZs are handled via the free foreign exchange market.  Foreign and Dominican firms are afforded the same investment opportunities both by law and in practice.

According to CNZFE’s 2018 Statistical Report, the most recent available, 2018 exports from FTZs totaled $6.2 billion, comprising 3.3 percent of GDP.  There are 673 companies operating in a total of 74 FTZs.  Of the companies operating in FTZs, approximately 40 percent are from the United States.  Other major presences include companies registered in the Dominican Republic (22.4 percent), United Kingdom (8.2 percent), Canada (4.5 percent), and Germany (3.5 percent).  Companies registered in 38 other countries comprised the remaining investments.  The main productive sectors receiving investment include: medical and pharmaceutical products, tobacco and derivatives, textiles, services, agro-industrial products, footwear, and metals and plastics.

Exporters/investors seeking further information from the CNZFE may contact:

Consejo Nacional de Zonas Francas de Exportación
Leopoldo Navarro No. 61
Edif. San Rafael, piso no. 5
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Phone: (809) 686-8077
Fax: (809) 686-8079
Website Address: http://www.cnzfe.gov.do 

Performance and Data Localization Requirements

The Dominican labor code establishes that 80 percent of the labor force of a foreign or national company, including free trade zone companies, be composed of Dominican nationals.  Senior management and boards of directors of foreign companies are exempt from this regulation.

The Dominican Republic does not have excessively onerous visa, residence, work permit, or similar requirements inhibiting mobility of foreign investors and their employees.  The host government does not have a forced localization policy to compel foreign investors to use domestic content in goods or technology.

There are no performance requirements as there is no distinction between Dominican and foreign investment.  Investment incentives are applied uniformly to both domestic and foreign investors in accordance with World Trade Organization (WTO) requirements.  In addition, there are no requirements for foreign IT providers to turn over source code or provide access to encryption.

Law No. 172-13 on Comprehensive Protection of Personal Data restricts companies from freely transmitting customer or other business-related data inside the Dominican Republic or beyond the country’s borders.  Under this law, companies must obtain express written consent from individuals in order to transmit personal data unless an exception applies.  The Superintendency of Banks currently supervises and enforces these rules, but its jurisdiction generally covers banks, credit bureaus, and other financial institutions.  Industry representatives recommend updating this law to designate a national data protection authority that oversees other sectors.