ONEC defends supermarkets against illicit trade allegations

The National Organization of Commercial Enterprises (ONEC) has defended supermarket chains against allegations linking them to illicit trade and the diversion of goods intended for Haiti. The organization argues that there is currently no traceability to prove that products entering the Dominican Republic under international transit regimes—which allow goods to pass through without local tariffs—are the same items later found in domestic supermarkets.

ONEC emphasized that the mere presence of a product on a retail shelf does not establish who imported it, the regime under which it entered, or whether irregularities occurred during distribution. The group called for all evidence regarding potential irregularities to be channeled through formal legal avenues, specifically the General Directorate of Customs, to ensure verifiable investigations and the proper establishment of responsibility.