As from Monday, 3 October 2005, commercial banks will reduce their opening hours as part of a fuel and energy saving plan. According to El Caribe, the new opening hours for all commercial banks offices, as well as drive-in tellers, will be Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 3:00 pm and Saturday from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm, announced the President of the Association of Commercial Banks (ABA) Jose Manuel Lopez Valdez. Bank branches in malls will operate from 9:00 am to 7:00 pm Monday through Saturday and 9:00 am to 1:00 pm on Sundays. Lopez said that the schedule reduction will save between RD$350 and RD$400 million annually. ATMs, telephone, and online banking services will continue to operate without changes.
According to Listin Diario, the banks are taking on this commitment as a contribution to the National Energy Saving Plan because they understand that at this time the country requires measures of sacrifice of all sectors, until the international prices of oil and its derivates come back down.