DR1 Daily News - Dominican Republic

Henri Hebrard / Hoy

Economist Henri Hebrard issued a stark warning on Friday, 9 January 2026 that the Dominican Republic will need to spend approximately RD$1 billion daily solely on debt interest payments throughout 2026.

Speaking on the news program Uno más Uno (Teleantillas), Hebrard detailed that annual interest obligations have surged to roughly RD$360 billion. He described the figure as a critical red flag for the country’s financial stability.

Hebrard highlighted the scale of these payments by comparing them to vital public sectors. According to his analysis, the interest on the national debt now is triple the total deficit of the national electricity sector, is more than the national education budget and doubles the resources allocated to the healthcare sector.

“If there is one worrying figure for 2026, it is this: the debt interest commitment,” Hebrard stated. “The Dominican...