Santo Domingo — The Social Security Treasury (SST) of the Dominican Republic opened a training centre for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) this Wednesday (26/09) with the objective of providing employers with tools for the registration and formalization of Dominican and foreign workers.

Social Security Treasurer Henry Sahdalá, IOM Regional Director Marcelo Pisani, and ILO Socio-Labour Compliance Officer Katherine Martínez presided over the opening ceremony.

Pisani highlighted the vital contribution of migrants to sustainable development and welcomed the efforts carried out by Dominican officials to regularize the migration status of about 200,000 foreigners connected to national production over the last seven years, as well as promoting access to the social security, health, and retirement system with equal opportunities.

“Small and medium enterprises are the biggest drivers of employment in Latin America. Their role to achieve the goals of the 2030 Agenda such as decent employment and a safe, regular and orderly migration are essential,” affirmed Pisani. “The centre is an important initiative to improve the linkages of migrant workers and offer them greater protection in risk situations.”

At the launch of the training centre, located at the Centre of Assistance for Employers in Plaza Naco, the Social Security Treasurer, Henry Sahdalá, thanked IOM for the donation of the room with a capacity for 30 people and equipped with modern technology to facilitate learning.

Initially, the centre will train trainers who will become teachers for other people who cannot visit the city to receive face-to-face courses at the SST. This model of work will allow trainers to replicate and promote knowledge in a more effective manner.

With the support of IOM, nearly 30 thousand foreign workers who were part of the National Regularization Plan for irregular migrants and their dependents in the Dominican Republic have been registered by their employers to the Dominican Social Security since 2017. This is a significant step towards social cohesion and the successful integration of migrants into society.

For more information, please contact:
Alicia Sangro at IOM Santo Domingo, Tel: +1 809 688 81 74, Email: asangro@iom.int
Jorge Gallo at the IOM Regional Office in San Jose; Tel: +506 22125352, Email: jgallo@iom.int