The President of the National Private Business Council (CONEP), Elena Viyella de Paliza, believes that the proposed tax reform agreed between the business sector and the government will favor the poor as it will not lead to price increases in basic foodstuffs and medicines. She stated that the elimination of the exchange rate commission would keep prices stable or decrease them. However, NGO and trade union representatives understand that instead of broadening the VAT (ITBIS) base to include 200 new products including oil, sugar and coffee, what should be done is to increase the cost of motor vehicle registration, impose a tax on interest on savings or the profits from free zone industries. PRD leaders have decided to wait until the Executive Branch submits the reform to Congress before it makes any comment and the PRSC rejects the proposal because it does not consider it “transparent”. Meanwhile, Listin Diario reports that Grupo Leon Jimenes considers that the proposed tax reform only creates collection mechanisms to close the quantitative gap, but it does not have qualitative measures to guarantee the country’s sustainable development. They believe the agreement will not suffice quantitatively and that it is RD$11 billion short of the group’s proposal, which, they argue, is a long term project that does not limit itself to current circumstances.