The government continues the practice of issuing decrees ordering the payment of special pensions for the retirement of a selection of persons. The pensions compensate for the low levels of pension retirement that employees in general are awarded as part of the social security pension plans under financial entities that report high yields. The government has been slow in accessing the generally available pension plans and instead has resorted to selecting those who will get a good retirement by using its discretion powers.
The Presidency does not regularly list the decrees granting the pensions for public viewing.
Diario Libre reports President Luis Abinader granted special state pensions of RD$50,000 per month to another 116 persons in June 2025, a move that also increased the pensions of six other individuals. The provision, outlined in Decree 326-25 signed on 16 June 2025, has raised questions as some beneficiaries were already receiving state pensions and a few do not appear to be economists by profession.
Upon reviewing the records of the Comptroller General of the Republic (CGR), Diario Libre found that at least 18 of the newly pensioned individuals were already listed as pensioners. The decree stipulates that if beneficiaries are already receiving a state pension, they can opt for the more favorable amount.
The new pension payments will take effect once beneficiaries formalize their requests with the Retirements and Pensions Agency (DGJP) of the Ministry of Hacienda. The DGJP has up to three months to process these payments from the date of application. The decree also allows for retroactive payments once this period has passed.
A CGR portal review revealed that the 116 “economists” come from various institutions. As of June 2025, only 15 were listed as active employees in any organization.
Several cases highlight this overlap:
• Cecilio Reyes is listed as a temporary analyst with a salary of RD$80,000 in the Ministry of Economy, Planning, and Development.
• Ana Suero is contracted as an analyst at the National Institute of Student Welfare (Inabie), earning RD$85,000.
• Eusebio Rodríguez appears on the Ministry of Education’s payroll as an administrative assistant with a net salary of RD$70,000.
• Ángel Inoa, head of Planning at the Luis Eduardo Aybar Health City, earns the highest salary among those identified, at RD$120,000.
• Wellington Guerrero, administrative head of the General Directorate of Embellishment, has the lowest salary at RD$45,000.
Diario Libre mentions that some appointments do not align with economic fields:
• Luis Fellito Moscoso earns RD$25,000 as an assistant for the National Literacy Plan at the Ministry of Education.
• Porfiria Ferrera Medina had her pension processed through the Ministry of Women, where she worked as a lawyer in the Department of Violence Care, earning RD$50,000.
• Mirtha Sierra is listed with the First Regiment of the Presidential Guard, earning RD$100,000. It could not be verified if her role is related to an economic or financial unit, as military payrolls are organized by rank or position.
Further web searches also revealed that some beneficiaries are active as economics professors at various private universities. José Francisco Peña Domínguez, a renowned economist and current president of the Dominican College of Economists (Codeco), is among those included in the decree.
Diario Libre mentions the designating of pensions for selected persons is a common practice and part of a broader pattern. A recent Diario Libre investigation found that one in five decrees issued by President Abinader are related to granting pensions and retirements. From January 1 to June 16 of this year, the president issued 328 decrees, with 69 (21%) specifically dedicated to awarding various categories of pensions and retirements.
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Diario Libre
21 July 2025