DR1 Daily News - Dominican Republic

The Ministry of Education (Minerd) is slated to receive a massive RD$332.03 billion budget for 2026, according to the draft of the National Budget (PGE) bill submitted to the National Congress, El Dia reports. This is the largest ministry allotment in the country.

This allocation for Minerd, the entity that regulates early, primary, and secondary education in the country, marks a significant 7.1% increase over the current 2025 budget. The boost amounts to more than RD$22.06 billion compared to the current year’s budget of RD309.96 billion. If approved without change by legislators the RD332.03 billion would solidify Minerd as the recipient of the largest sectoral expenditure within the Central Government.

By law, the Minerd is consistently assigned 4% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the annual National Budget. However, despite this historically significant funding and the latest increase, the text notes a recurring problem: past Minerd administrations have rarely...