El Caribe newspaper reports that current expenditures, such as payroll and supplies, increased 17.7% during the first four months of the year, going from RD$11,718 million in the first third of 2000 to RD$13,679 million for the same period this year. At the same time, capital expenditures, such as investments in infrastructure and public works, declined 5.1%, going from RD$3,727 in the same period in 2000 to RD$3,536 from January to April of this year. The government payroll, increased from RD$4,879 million to RD$5,660 million during the same period. Total government expenditures for the first four months were RD$18,886 million, while income was RD$18,017 million, for a fiscal deficit of RD$869 million.
