Politician Eduardo Estrella has sent a Tweet alerting that Art. 59 included in the 2019 National Budget Bill under review in Congress violates the Constitution. The article would enable the Executive Branch to sell state assets without these having to be reviewed by the Legislative Branch.
Eduardo Estrella, who is a former Minister of Public Works in a past Balaguer administration, is currently president of the political party Partido Dominicanos por el Cambio. In his Tweet, Estrella wrote: “In Art. 59 the government is essentially writing a blank check to the Executive Branch. If the budget is approved as is, it would be authorizing the Executive Branch to sell state assets in amounts up to 10% of the national debt. The Executive Branch of the Republic could use these funds as it pleases and only would have to report expenditures to Congress 30 days afterwards,” said Estrella.
The Public Credit Agency indicated that the public debt was at US$31.55 billion as of August 2018. That is 10% of the debt would amount to US$3.15 billion.
Estrella especially criticized that a paragraph in the article authorizes the President to use the money at discretion without having to engage in the normal practice of sending a complementary budget for approval to Congress. The Presidency would only be required to inform Congress after making the sale. “This Art. 59 would set a bad precedent and is in violation of the Constitution. We are alerting Congress that it would be delegating its role of approving government loans,” alerted Estrella.
Opposition deputy Ginette Bournigal (Puerto Plata-PRM) requested the elimination of Art. 59 observing that it is “uncalled for, inappropriate and provocative.” Bournigal is a member of the Chamber of Deputies-Senate commission that is reviewing the 2019 National Budget Bill.
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Diario Libre
Diario Libre
7 November 2018
