A dive into the Dominican Republic’s government spending on communications reveals a staggering figure, Diario Libre reports. This is aside from the billions the government spends on propaganda paid to private media companies and journalists that work outside of government offices.
As of July and August 2023, the Dominican government had 1,358 individuals on its payroll solely dedicated to communications. This includes staff from 23 ministries, the Presidential Palace, and the Government Strategy and Communication Agency (DIECOM).
The cost of this expansive communications payroll? A hefty RD$74.7 million per month.
A breakdown of the data shows:
• Ministries: 810 employees, with Education having the largest communications department.
• DIECOM: 248 employees, serving as the government’s official spokesperson.
• Presidential Palace: 573 employees, distributed across five communication teams.
Diario Libre reports that the huge budget allocated to journalists would be sufficient to staff multiple national newspapers, underscoring the scale of the government’s communications operations.
Diario Libre publishes a breakdown of what several ministries have allocated for their communications operations just in payrolls:
Ministry of Education – RD$4,506,277
Ministry of Industry & Commerce – RD$4,441,800
Ministry of Energy & Mines – RD$3,592,000
Ministry of Public Works – RD$2,744,595
Ministry of Foreign Relations – RD$2,695,750
Ministry of Economy – RD$2,217,000
Ministry of Culture – RD$2,068,500
Ministry of Housing – RD$2,059,000
Ministry of Hacienda – RD$2,031,000
Ministry of Interior & Police – RD$1,849,500
Ministry of Agriculture – RD$1,844,472
Ministry of Public Health – RD$1,843,340
Ministry of Sports – RD$1,710,650
Ministry of the Presidency – RD$1,375,000
Ministry of Environment – RD$1,350,000
Ministry of Youth – RD$1,067,816
Ministry of Public Administration – RD$1,005,000
Ministry of Work – RD$939,000
Ministry of Tourism – RD$770,600
Ministry of Women – RD$683,200
Ministry of Defense – RD$408,000
An editorial in Diario Libre asks out loud why such a high payroll?
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Diario Libre
Diario Libre
16 September 2024