The Dominican Conference of the Episcopate, the voice of the Roman Catholic Church in the Dominican Republic, urged the government to concentrate on priority spending and eliminate extravagant, useless and unnecessary spending, including high wages, superfluous jobs and generous subsidies. They pointed to the need to curb the erosion and dispersion of the state’s resources and bring decency to the public administration by putting a stop to the sacking of public assets. “We must immediately remove anyone from public office who seeks to become rich by the goods of the state,” states the document, adding that these individuals should also be severely penalized and stripped of the right to return to any job in the public arena. The bishops said it is time to trade government officers for qualified people, who may be chosen outside of the ruling party or among people that are not partisan to any group. In a statement on the political, economic and social situation of the nation, the bishops warned that the country has arrived at a critical point that calls for urgent action to reduce government spending. Furthermore, the church said that the flight of capital being seen is scandalous and one of the causes of the crisis, as every business, big or small, and every individual, rich or poor, seeks to change their pesos into dollars and stash them outside the country.
The bishops also called for an end to rumors that affect financial institutions.
Furthermore, they also urged that President Hipolito Mejia reconsider his decision to seek re-election. “There are those who believe that, through abandoning his desire to seek re-election, Mr. President would contribute greatly to social peace, confidence and governance. We leave it up to his conscience,” says the statement.