The 5% fund allocated for use on the 2006 National Budget bill at the Presidency’s discretion has been agreed with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) according to a report in Diario Libre. IMF technicians do not agree with the government’s practice of using any surplus income at its discretion, as is established by the organic budget law. The government accepted the allocation of only 5% for this purpose. As it stands, the fund is approximately RD$9.665 billion. According to an IMF source in Washington quoted in Diario Libre, the IMF authorized the 5% but any surplus income must be allocated by law. The budget bill is still pending approval in Congress.