The general director of Budget, José Rijo Presbot, said that despite the international crisis resulting from the war between Russia and Ukraine, the Dominican Republic decreased the need for indebtedness, reduced the deficit by the end of the year and is projecting the highest growth in the entire region.
“In spite of the closure of the countries we raised tourism, gave confidence in the private sector and recovered the jobs lost before the pandemic”, indicated Rijo Presbot in declarations during his participation in the program El Despertador, transmitted by SIN.
One factor to highlight, according to Rijo Presbot, is how the international situation impacted the 2022 General State Budget, due to the change of priorities that the Government had to assume, such as the targeted subsidies aimed at vulnerable populations.
“The Aliméntate program has 1,300,000 people, and the president requested to include 300 thousand more, receiving 1,650 pesos. That represents an increase in spending on the Supérate program of 5 billion pesos. All the adjustments will come out of the 26 billion pesos advance budget for the year, until the reformulated budget is introduced in Congress,” said Rijo Presbot.
In his statements, Rijo Presbot indicated that resources have also been earmarked to maintain stable the price of fertilizers, rice pledging, certified seeds, and to not affect farmers and the bakery sector. “What the Government is looking for is that the population is not affected by inflation”, said Rijo Presbot.
In that order he reported that, President Luis Abinader earmarked to expand the Economic Canteens, implement more rations of raw food, incorporate mobile warehouses and food combos from the Price Stabilization Institute (INESPRE), which means additional money in targeted subsidies.
Fuel subsidy and salary increase to sectors
Referring to fuels, Rijo Presbot stated that for this week alone, up to June 17, 1,793 million pesos were allocated and that to date the total amount amounts to 20,796 million pesos in fuel subsidies. “With this subsidy we lowered from 6 to 4 dollars a gallon of gasoline to support the transportation and productive sector. A fiscal sacrifice by the Government that reduces inflation by 4.66%”.
During his speech, he highlighted the additional 2 billion that were invested to attend the emergency of the Covid-19 omicron variant.
He highlighted the expenses directed to increase police officers’ salaries and the upcoming training of 35 thousand police officers in human rights, conflict management and human relations in order to create conditions of closeness between agents and citizens. Likewise, he socialized the increases to doctors and pensioners, emphasizing that the Government is committed to ensure that every peso paid by the citizen is well used.
Budget transparency
Rijo Presbot said that, according to the report issued by Presupuesto Abierto, the Dominican Republic is among the 10 best countries in the world in terms of budget transparency, ranking number 9.
This achievement is due to the fact that: “From the Ministry of Economy, Planning and Development, the General Directorate of Budget and the respective teams, we seek to ensure that plans are adjusted to budgets and budgets to plans, to measure achievements, products, results and impact on the quality of life of the people, without affecting the institutional mission. What we are looking for is budgetary management in accordance with the norms and the law,” said Rijo Presbot.
It is recalled that, since the beginning of the administration and through the @DigepresRD account on social networks, the Budget Execution report is published weekly and all the information on the budget is available to the public, along with other initiatives of social control and transparency.
