Yesterday, Monday 30 September, the Executive Branch handed over the proposed RD$605 billion 2014 National Budget to Congress. Senate president Reinaldo Pared Perez received the budget proposal from Treasury Minister Simon Lizardo and Budget director Luis Reyes. According to the Constitution, the Executive Branch must deliver the budget to Congress no later than 1 October each year.
Pared Perez said that a committee chaired by Dionis Sanchez and made up of members of both the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies would begin to review the budget.
Upon delivering the budget, Minister Simon Lizardo said that the government has not excluded the option of increasing public employee wages. He was referring to the demands of public hospital staff currently on a three-day strike after the proposed budget did not specify wage increases for their sector. Lizardo said increases could be incorporated if the funds for paying for the increases can be identified.
www.listin.com.do/la-republica/2013/9/30/294101/El-Gobierno-no-descarta-aumento-de-salarios-en-sector-publico