2000News

Business and legal groups advocate government accountability

The Asociación Nacional de Jóvenes Empresarios (ANJE), and the Fundación Institucionalidad y Justicia (FINJUS) both favor that the bills under study by Congress that seek to increase government income by 30% be accompanied by new tools that increase government accountability and reduce financial irresponsibility. They urged a profound revision of monetary policy to put a stop to the practice of increasing taxes to compensate for fiscal maladjustments. Francisco Domínguez Brito, told El Siglo newspaper that society should demand Congress the passing of bills that condition the increase in income to the approval of new controls that make transparent the administration of government income. They are referring to the preparation control and implementation of the national budget. "The cost of financing the state as happens at present is the highest tax to the nation and the most damaging to the competitiveness of producing in the DR," said Domínguez. ANJE concurred, criticizing the present fiscal deficit that has brought about high interest rates in real terms, limitations on the availability of funds for production, and a 5% exchange commission. Both organization advocate an increase in international loans taken out by the government. They feel this would be a way to distribute the burden of building infrastructure on more than one generation. They criticize the practice of the government of carrying out public works with current income.