Some congressional perks in numbers
A report in Diario Libre today, Thursday 16 October 2014 points out that legislators will still have many pockets for political patronage left over even after cutting the RD$50,000 a month assignment that was announced by Chamber president Abel Martinez. The discretionary assistance fund called the Social Management Fund by the legislators is better known as the "barrilito'" or little barrel.
The newspaper report says that the fund was first created in March 2007 by then president of the Chamber of Deputies Julio Cesar Valentin and since then it has allocated RD$839.9 million to the deputies for political patronage disguised as social assistance.
The fund assigns RD$50,000 to each legislator for use at his or her discretion. Around 30 deputies had voluntarily resigned from using the fund.
The president of the Chamber of Deputies has offered the Central Government the assignment for the next two months and that the funds be reassigned in the 2015 National Budget.
Diario Libre clarifies that while the president of the Chamber of Deputies has accepted a cut of the RD$50,000 monthly allotment, there has been no mention of other allocations made to the legislators for distributing to their constituents, such as allotments for Mother's Day, Christmas and even sweet beans for Easter. For Mother's Day this year the legislators received a fund of RD$176.9 million. For Easter sweet beans distribution, the legislators received RD$14 billion. For Christmas, they received RD$82 million for use at their discretion.
Diario Libre also looks into the consistent wage raises the legislators have approved for themselves. While in 1990 a deputy received a fixed wage of RD$4,600, per diems for RD$400 and expenses of RD$6,000, by 1996, the deputies had gradually upped their wages so that they received RD$59,600.
By 2006 a RD$116,983 wage was approved, and to this was added in 2007 and 2008 RD$23,396 for expenses, RD$45,000 for per diems and the RD$50,000 social fund assignment plus a wage No. 14 for RD$116,983.
Civil society groups, including the Dominican Alliance Against Corruption (ADOCCO), are calling for reductions in the perks received by the legislators.
Los diputados han consumido RD$839.9 millones en dr1 news
A report in Diario Libre today, Thursday 16 October 2014 points out that legislators will still have many pockets for political patronage left over even after cutting the RD$50,000 a month assignment that was announced by Chamber president Abel Martinez. The discretionary assistance fund called the Social Management Fund by the legislators is better known as the "barrilito'" or little barrel.
The newspaper report says that the fund was first created in March 2007 by then president of the Chamber of Deputies Julio Cesar Valentin and since then it has allocated RD$839.9 million to the deputies for political patronage disguised as social assistance.
The fund assigns RD$50,000 to each legislator for use at his or her discretion. Around 30 deputies had voluntarily resigned from using the fund.
The president of the Chamber of Deputies has offered the Central Government the assignment for the next two months and that the funds be reassigned in the 2015 National Budget.
Diario Libre clarifies that while the president of the Chamber of Deputies has accepted a cut of the RD$50,000 monthly allotment, there has been no mention of other allocations made to the legislators for distributing to their constituents, such as allotments for Mother's Day, Christmas and even sweet beans for Easter. For Mother's Day this year the legislators received a fund of RD$176.9 million. For Easter sweet beans distribution, the legislators received RD$14 billion. For Christmas, they received RD$82 million for use at their discretion.
Diario Libre also looks into the consistent wage raises the legislators have approved for themselves. While in 1990 a deputy received a fixed wage of RD$4,600, per diems for RD$400 and expenses of RD$6,000, by 1996, the deputies had gradually upped their wages so that they received RD$59,600.
By 2006 a RD$116,983 wage was approved, and to this was added in 2007 and 2008 RD$23,396 for expenses, RD$45,000 for per diems and the RD$50,000 social fund assignment plus a wage No. 14 for RD$116,983.
Civil society groups, including the Dominican Alliance Against Corruption (ADOCCO), are calling for reductions in the perks received by the legislators.
Los diputados han consumido RD$839.9 millones en dr1 news