El Siglo newspaper points out the high profitability of Dominican consulates abroad for those appointed to the posts. The newspaper says the consuls have been allowed by the government to pocket annually around US$50 million for services rendered, charging much more than the legal rates. The report says the consuls send back home only US$20 million for “services” rendered. The consulates charge consumers for visas, consular invoices, tourist cards, for the issuing of passports and birth certificates, notarising of documents, etc. The newspaper attributes the high profitability of the posts to flaws in the legislation, the power consular officers have to charge what they feel fit, the politicising of the posts, and the lack of control by the Ministry of Foreign Relations. According to the report, the most profitable of the DR’s 123 consulates are those in New York, Miami, Montreal, San Juan (Puerto Rico), Sweden, Port au Prince, Bonn, Madrid, Antwerp, Stockholm, Hamburg and London. The newspaper estimates that the New York City consul general is making around US$1 million in a year. In the first five months of the year, the Dominican Consulate in NY has only sent back US$2.3 million in revenues.
