Agriculture Minister ordered to explain bean import quotas

posted on: Mar 17 2010 13:53 by Royston. Viewed 354 times.


The Supreme Administrative Court has ordered the Minister of Agriculture, Salvador (Chio) Jim�nez, to deliver to Granos Nacionales (National Grain Company) documents supporting permission to import beans to a group of companies that are not considered traditional importers.

An appeal was filed last December by the largest grain trader in the country, arguing that unauthorized companies were importing beans in violation of the commitments made by the Dominican government under the DR-CAFTA agreement.

Among the companies benefiting illegally, according to Granos Nacionales, are Aerocomercial Tejada, Agroservicios del Cibao, Almacenes Royal, Asocodemo Burs�til, Cadena de Distribuci�n de Art�culos de Primera Necesidad Oriental Cipriano, C�ndido Mateo Marcano, Casa Comercial Rodr�guez Jim�nez, Catemo Comercial, Distribuidora de Granos Tania, Empacadora Medina, Central de Distribuci�n de Productos Alimenticios.

Also named are, FODEPRO, C�sar Miguel Cort�s Risk, Comercializadora de Productos de Consumo B�sico Central, Comercializadora Nacional de Productos y Servicios, DOBE, Importadora de Grano Braulio, Inversiones B&M, Kalojo, Khwl Imports and Rafael Antonio Japa Hidalgo.

Granos Nacionales has issued a writ against the Minister of Agriculture, whom they accuse of failing to comply with trade agreements by providing greater import quotas for new companies in the market to the detriment of the established businesses. They say this is in contravention of an executive decree and the company has asked President Leonel Fern�ndez to investigate the irregularities committed by the Minister of Agriculture in the �capricious� management of import quotas of beans.