The National Education Council (CNE) has given its unanimous approval to the draft bill for the 2013 Ministry of Education Budget. The budget, for RD$99.648 billion, thus complies with the 4% of the GDP that was promised by President Danilo Medina. The Minister of Education and CNE chair, Josefina Pimentel, said that the total represents a 70.27% increase compared to 2012, which was RD$58.524 billion.
The draft takes into consideration the fact that for 2013 the distribution for current expenses will be 65% above the 35% for capital expenditures. Spending on the School Foods Program (PAE), which includes the extended school day program, will cost RD$5.539 billion and benefit 1,443,820 students. The draft budget proposal for the Ministry’s 2013 budget was presented by the Deputy Minister in charge of Planning, Victor Sanchez, who said that the evolution of the percentage of the GDP allocated to Education was 1.66% in 2004 and is going up to 4.75% in 2013.
The budgetary increase would be paid for with the major increase in taxation the Medina government has presented for public debate.