Dominican Republic has 400,000 informal firms, says CODOPYME chief

Fernando Pinales, president of the Confederación Dominicana de la Micro, Pequeña y Mediana Empresa (CODOPYME), disclosed that the Dominican Republic hosts more than 400,000 informal companies alongside roughly 1.2 million formal micro, small and medium enterprises. Official Central Bank data place the informal sector at 50‑60 % of all businesses, accounting for about 98 % of registered firms and over 65 % of national employment. Micro‑enterprises alone represent 70 % of the country's companies and generate between 2 and 3 million jobs, though workers in the informal segment lack social‑security benefits.

Pinales urged the government to adopt policies that reduce informality, improve access to financing and public procurement for the sector, and resume dialogue on the pending labor‑code reform in Congress, arguing that a more formal economy would boost growth and attract foreign investment.