There is between US$611 and US$944 million available for the DR in 2006 within the Inter-American Development Bank funding program. According to Listin Diario, the exact amount will depend on the performance of the economy. This information was provided by IDB representative Moises Pineda, who said that the bank’s information indicates that there are good perspectives for next year. On Thursday, the IDB announced the approval of a US$10 million loan for the support of a national employment scheme, labor training courses for youngsters and the strengthening of mechanisms to channel social assistance to the needy.