President Medina downplayed the benefits of government-issued welfare cards and encouraged poor people to become productive during a visit to Constanza yesterday, Sunday 29 June 2014.
During his visit, Medina urged a woman who asked him for a government Solidarity welfare card to become productive instead of asking for state handouts. The Solidarity card program was created during the former administration under Leonel Fernandez. His wife Margarita Cedeno, who is now Vice President, has continued to manage these programs.
President Medina asked the Constanza woman if she had land to farm and she said yes. “I want you to produce, not to be given. The more you earn, the happier we will be,” said the President.
During his visit to the community of La Paloma in Constanza, President Medina announced low-cost government financing to flower and leek growers to help them to expand their farming areas and install packaging plants. He met with the local Flower Growers and Farmers Association and encouraged farmers who are not association members to join collective activities in order to receive government support. The government approved financing at 5% annual interest through the Special Fund for Farm Development (FEDA) under the Presidency of the Republic. President Medina stressed that these are loans that must be repaid.
Read more in Spanish:
http://presidencia.gob.do/comunicados/”produzcan-mientras-mas-ganen-mas-felices-estaremos”-danilo-medina-constanza-0