The National Senate will reintroduce several of the bills that expired after months or years without congressional approval. The Senate promised to pass the monetary and financial code, the tariffs reform, social security bill and a bill that would provide incentives for Dominican exports within this legislature. President of the Senate Ram?n Alburquerque promised during his speech at the National Assembly on Saturday that the Senate would pass the electricity bill and the market order code. The National Congress has a reputation among Dominicans for only working for their own interests, such as passing hundreds of pensions and being quick on passing salary increases for themselves, while slow as turtles when it comes to studying and passing important national bills. During his speech at the National Assembly, Alburquerque criticized the government for being an exporter of capitals. He rationalized that the Senate had not passed international loan projects because the government has not produced the counterpart payments for loans already passed. Nevertheless, contrary to what he has said earlier, that the Senate would not pass initiatives coming from the government for political reasons, Alburquerque said that the Senate does not oppose external financing when the later favors the most needed sectors, contributes to increase the national productive capacity or promote exports. The government wants the National Senate to pass loan international organization loans for US$355 million. The moneys are being lent by the Interamerican Development Bank and the World Bank and would be used to rebuild infrastructure damaged by Hurricane Georges.
