SANTO DOMINGO. In order to strengthen the surveillance and protection of transport of imported goods in the country, the General Customs Directorate and the National Land Transport Network (RNTT) signed an agreement that frames a strategic alliance between both entities, strengthening communication and data transmission, inspection systems and aspects related to national security.

Speaking during the signing of the agreement, the general director of Customs, Enrique A. Ramírez Paniagua, said that the same seeks to expand the actions taken by the institution towards greater trade facilitation in the Dominican Republic; in this case, from an aspect as sensitive and important as the security and traceability of the cargo, with the use of geolocation systems and counting, in addition, with the registration available to the National Land Transport Network of the vehicles and drivers involved in the transport of goods.

For his part, Armando Rivas, president of the RNTT, a private non-profit organization, which aims to raise the security levels of cargo transport in the Dominican Republic, said that the signing of the agreement reinforces the purposes for which The entity was created, improving everything related to cargo transportation in the country.

The agreement contemplates the supply of data and information on imports, as well as collaborating in investigation processes on the alerts of products that are destined to the customs regime of internal and international transit and exports.

For its part, the National Land Transport Network undertakes to establish, in coordination with the General Directorate of Customs, the placement of readers in strategic points of the main roads of the country, in order to establish the necessary controls for entry and departure of all drivers of cargo transport and transport of border points, and special regimes, through the use of an RFID (Radio Frequency IDentification) system, in order to increase controls and agility in international transits and internal, as well as exports.

The signatory entities will coordinate within the framework of the customs-business relationship, the implementation of the Authorized Economic Operator program in relation to land transport, with the information and collaboration required by the DGA to comply with the established requirements and obtain the Operator’s certification. Authorized Economic (OAS).

They also committed to establish cooperation strategies to carry out training and research activities, in order to strengthen the agreement towards the improvement of access control systems and exit from port and free zone parks, as preventive actions to avoid contraband or loss of merchandise, trafficking in persons and narcotics, among other actions that contradict the law.

In the event, held at the headquarters of the DGA, were present the director of the Dominican Port Authority (APORDOM), Víctor Gómez; Gustavo Tavares, of the Shipping Association of the Dominican Republic (ANRD); Elena Salazar, vice president ANRD; Andrés Llenas, National Land Transport Network, RNTT; José Rodríguez Mejía, former president of RNTT; Claudia Pellerano, ADOZONA, and Zona Franca Las Américas.