The Dominican Presidency enjoys the use of 20% of the National Budget with some 25 expense items that pertain to the executive office. The Listin Diario says that over the past years, through two different administrations, the practice of allowing the President to spend more and more has placed a large portion of the budget in his hands. In 2002, then-President Mejia received 20% of the budget, going from a requested amount of RD$8.52 billion to final expenditures that totaled RD$14.83 billion. During that administration, entities such as the JCE, the Accounting Office, the ministries of the Interior & Police and Foreign Relations, as well as the newly-created ministries of Women and Culture, all exceeded their budgeted amounts. There are close to 25 items listed in the Presidential budget, including monies for the administrative minister, the Office that supervises Public Works, the Press Office, the Social Cabinet and many other organisms that depend on the President for their funding. As far back as 1998, the President took 21% of the budget, while ministries such as those of Education, Public Health, Labor and Agriculture languished for lack of funding.