Tirso Mejia Ricart, executive director of the National Council for the Reform and Modernization of the State (CONARE), told El Caribe that the government hustlers, known as buscones, will disappear when the automating program of the government is resumed. “The buscones exist to the same extent that bureaucratic inefficiency exists, and as long as there are privileges in the granting of turns,” he explained. Mejia mentioned that government services users can request information on how to get the government documents they need by calling 1-976-2085, the Blue Line. There is a RD$10 cost per call. He said that soon his office will have step by step procedures needed for documents and other government formalities available on the Internet. Meanwhile, the Police announced the arrest of 18 buscones at the driver’s license bureau and the passport bureau. Nelson del Rosario, spokesman for the Police, said they were fulfilling an order given by President Hipolito Mejia following a meeting with the National Council of Businessmen.
