The tax reform bill goes back to square one, again, today. Alfredo Pacheco, the Chamber of Deputies president, said the bill would be studied by the deputies today and may be given priority so that it is approved immediately and passed on to the Senate, as reported in El Caribe. The legislation, which was compiled by PLD technicians using the drafts devised by the PRD administration, was reintroduced by Deputy Manuel Diaz of the PLD. It was originally sent to Congress by President Hipolito Mejia on 13 July, but expired after two legislative periods passed without obtaining its approval.
The media is lashing out against raising the tax on advertising from 6% to 27.6%, saying that the government has added on a 10% luxury tax, plus increases of the 6% ITBIS to 16%.