This morning’s papers lead with the news that the government is putting the finishing touches on a revised letter of intent to the International Monetary Fund, according to the Central Bank. This statement appears to come in reaction to intense speculation at the beginning of the week over whether the talks had run aground. Negotiations are described as being “advanced by 90%” and the new letter of intent is meant to be ready for delivery to the IMF mission before next weekend. A pre-requisite for this to go ahead, however, is the approval of the 2004 income budget and the legislation on public expenditure. The Central Bank statement said that the IMF mission had returned to the country from the Thanksgiving break on Thursday 4 December, and had since been engaged in permanent negotiations with the Dominican authorities. The CB affirmed that the government was “committed to reaching an agreement with the IMF with the best interests of the country at heart, guaranteeing that for each and every citizen (the agreement) would mean a path to economic stability and growth, rooted in transparency, governance and social justice.