A commission from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) visited the Dominican Republic for two days last week and at the end of the visit suggested that the government save any budget surplus that may be generated this fiscal year due to the appreciation of the Dominican peso. The IMF suggestion was made by two of the top IMF officials, Jose Fajgenbaum and Guy Meredith, at the end of their trip that included a visit with President Leonel Fernandez that lasted for nearly four hours. Meredith is chief of the follow up team for the Dominican Republic and Fajgenbaum is Western Hemisphere director for the IMF. Citing insider sources, the Listin Diario reports that the team suggested that the government create a special reserve fund, because these resources would permit the nation to significantly reduce the fiscal deficit. The IMF pointed out that if the money is spent, as has been suggested by some of the President’s economic team, then the deficit would remain with no appreciable benefit to the country’s economy.