Minister of Hacienda Simon Lizardo reported that from today, Thursday, 5 December the government is paying the traditional 13th wage, known as the Christmas bonus to public employees. Lizardo announced that “tomorrow, Friday, all of the public employees will have in their regular accounts, properly deposited, the funds corresponding to the salary number thirteen.” Lizardo said that the amount is estimated to be some RD$9.5 billion and he said that hopes for the economic movement due to this event include such things as last week’s “Black Friday” in which businesses held big sales with many articles under their original prices. Although the Labor Code establishes that the payment of the Christmas Salary should be done by 20 December at the latest, the government and many businesses in the private sector tend to begin paying their employees in the first or second week of the month.