The Chamber of Deputies approved the bill that creates the Dominican Institute of Meteorology (Indomet) to replace the National Weather Office (Onamet). The bill orders that the new entity operate under the Ministry of Environment. At present Onamet is under the umbrella of the Ministry of Agriculture.
The new entity will be in charge of the design and execution of the meteorological and climate policy. The Dominican Institute of Meteorology will be attached to the Ministry of Environment, which exercises the power of guardianship over it, to verify that its operation complies with the established provisions.
The bill has been making the rounds of Congress since 2019.
The bill calls for the new institute to have autonomous and decentralized character, mostly likely allowing for better wages for those employed there. The new entity is also expected to require more public employees for its expanded roles.
Given that it is a new entity, most likely if approved in the Senate, the new entity will continue to operate as such until the government can grant it additional funds in the 2025 National Budget. The Ministry of Environment is known for having a tight budget.
The bill moves on now to the Senate.
Read more in Spanish:
El Nuevo Diario
See an original bill on the entity submitted in 2019
13 May 2024