The Fundaci?n Institucionalidad y Justicia (Finjus) announced it would condemn the administrative levy of new taxes by the government. The director of Finjus, Jose Alfredo Rizek, said that the Executive Branch cannot impose new taxes, as these are congressional prerogatives. By Decree 646-03, the government has levied a 2% surcharge on imports and increased the departure tax from US$10 to US$20, in addition to ordering a RD$0.15-charge for every RD$100 transacted by check.
Pedro Silverio of the Cenantillas research center at PUCMM told El Caribe that the inflation-creating surcharge will mean RD$3 billion in additional revenues for the government per year.
Technical Secretary of the Presidency Carlos Despradel acknowledged that the surcharge is illegal. Nevertheless, he told El Caribe reporters that the revenues would be demonetized as per an agreement reached with the IMF.