Budget expert Jose Rijo Presbot said that the complementary budget sent to the National Congress on Tuesday, 5 November violates Articles 93 of the Constitution and 11 of the Organic Law of the Budget. He said that new debt for RD$8.17 billion is being taken on without a loan agreement having been passed in the Congress. As reported in Diario Libre, he said that no financing could be secured if it has not been approved in the National Budget. He said what has happened is that after the budget authorization the President starts the process to sign the loan. “The government cannot take on debt that has not been approved by Congress.”
He said that the debt included in the supplementary budget sent to Congress on Tuesday was not originally in the 2013 Budget.
Rijo said that the government had authorized US$48 million for the Cibao-Sur highway and now presents a supplementary budget for US$200 million. “There is no explanation for the increase in the cost of the highway,” he complained. Rijo said that the government must explain why it is replacing the US$200 million electricity sector sustainability and efficiency program for another for the fiscal support worth US$400 million.
“It is apparent that the government continues to see its future investments will be funded with loans. In total there are US$1.2 billion in request for new loans that the government is requesting, including for some that make no sense,” he warned.
He said that requests for funds for the Progresando con Solidaridad (US$200 million), Fiscal Sustainability (US$400 million) and Gestion por Resultados (Results based Management) in the Health sector (US$146 million) are not priorities.
www.senado.gob.do/senado/Inicio/tabid/40/ctl/ArticleView/mid/439/articleId/1241/Senado-aprueba-presupuesto-por-613-mil-136-millones.aspx
www.listin.com.do/economia-and-negocios/2013/11/6/298613/Luis-Reyes-senala-deficultades-para-ejecutar-presupuesto
www.diariolibre.com/noticias/2013/11/07/i409944_dicen-que-viola-carta-magna-con-presupuesto-complementario.html