Also confronting the government is the league of municipalities, which unites city and town councils throughout the country . The councils are now challenging their dependence on the central government for their funds. They are endeavoring to achieve economic independence and have publicly declared their intention to set up city lotteries. The municipal league has employed a U.S. company to set them up.
A pilot scheme has begun with five municipalities in the province of La Vega. Julio Mariñez, advisor to the league, said that a meeting will be held on 15 January to which 107 mayors have been invited to learn about the operation and benefits of lotteries.
The Balaguer administration’s response the lotteries has been a firm “no.” The legal consultant to the Presidency, Dr. Hector Pérez Reyes, himself a former administrator of the National Lottery, said that only the central government is authorized by Dominican law to run such lotteries.
Meanwhile, the local councils are going ahead with their scheme to set up the lotteries, but said they will be submitting a bill to Congress to modify the law that maintains the monopoly of the National Lottery.
While the bill has received the support of 98 municipalities, it has been opposed by the Catholic Church in La Vega diocese. Monsignor Antonio Camilo says it will only contribute to further corruption and foment vice.
But the city councils feel they have a strong case. Julio Mariñez says that upwards of RD$20 million a day is wagered on illegal games, including more than RD$7 million in Santo Domingo alone.
The spokesman for the Dominican Municipal League says that all over the world lotteries are property of the cities and the monies collected are used for works of importance in their domains.
In the pilot scheme in La Vega, the draws are held on Tuesdays in a different town hall. Participants include the municipalities of La Vega, Constanza, Jarabacoa and Jima which have formed a company and come up with initial prize money of RD$100,000.
The Dominican Municipal League (LMD) has requested that the government passes the National Lottery to the municipalities so they may generate the monies needed to serve their communities.
The LMD has also requested that the government comply with Law 140 of 24 June 1983 whereby they should receive more than RD$500 million per annum, of which they have only received RD$200 million . In their efforts to gather funds, the LMD also says they will be contacting international organizations to seek support for community projects, such as the construction of slaughterhouses, the purchase of refuse collecting equipment, the establishing of 100 libraries, and the design and implementation of a municipal property registry. They are also want to seek financing from the Interamerican Development Bank and the European Union under the Lome Accorde for municipal projects. They also propose that they should be entrusted with the collection of the ITBIs, pointing to the fact that of RD$10,000 million that should be generated per annum, the government is only collecting 30%.
12-18 January 1996