Despite privatization, government bureaucracy is increasing. Listin Diario reports that the Mejia government has added 23,207 new jobs. Thousands of government employees were fired to make way for PRD supporters when the PRD took office. The party had been out of office for 14 years. El Caribe estimates the number of new government jobs at 22,770, almost the double what PLD party added in their four years in government. El Caribe says that despite the privatization of public enterprises, the Dominican bureaucracy has increased. El Caribe reports there were 281,844 public employees at the start of the PLD government in 1996. Four years later, in June 2000, there were 329,983, or a 17% increase. Central Bank data shows that government personnel have since increased to 352,753 persons: 7% more employees in less than a year. During its first few months, the Mejia government was cautious. From June to December 2000, only 609 staff were added, as thousands of jobs were freed with the firing of the previous staff. Most of the new jobs were created in the first six months of this year, after the government increased taxes hoping to generate enough income to pay for the new employees. Some 22,161 persons were hired during the first six months of 2001. Those employees were added to these departments: Ministry of Education: 7,355 (up 7.5%) Ministry of Armed Forces: 6,172 (up 17.8%) Ministry of Interior and Police: 1,575 (up 6.2%) Ministry of Sports: 1,224 (up 45.4%) Judiciary: 1,161 (up %) (what number?) Ministry of Public Health: 1,144 (up 2.6%) Provincial government offices: 1,575 (up 6.2%) The government also hired hundreds to work in the new ministries of Youth, Women, Culture and Environment. Listin Diario says the Mejia government had to dedicate RD$1 billion more to pay the new personnel. A Listin editorial says no one can defend using money from new taxes to hire more government employees. The editorial points out that many employees receive three checks from the government at the same time. It also laments that the increasing payroll happened when unemployment in general is down 1.3%.
