The general coordinator of the Proyecto Presidencial
\nHip?lito (PPH), Agriculture Minister Eligio J?quez said that the PPH and the
\neconomic team of the Mej?a administration would manage a US$100-million (RD$3.4
\nbillion) loan-funded social program during the next 12 months. The funding would
\nreportedly come from the National Budget and contributions made by the
\nInternational Monetary Fund and the Inter American Development Bank. The PPH
\nbacks President Hip?lito Mej?a?s aspirations to a second term of office in the
\nMay 2004 election.
\nEl Caribe reports the decision was made during a meeting of the economic and
\npolitical teams of the government. J?quez stated that they are not playing games
\nand want to replicate the success garnered with similar programs that led to
\ntheir sweeping victory in the 2002 congressional elections.
\nJ?quez said priorities will be to subsidize power and medicine and make low-cost
\nfood products available to the residents in the poorer barrios.
\nJ?quez is quoted as saying that everyone, including the IMF, knows that social
\npeace is necessary for the government to be able to repay the loans received
\nfrom multilateral organizations and the governments they represent.
\nJ?quez also announced that the political team would hold weekly meetings on
\nThursdays with the government?s economic team. Key members of the political team
\nare J?quez, legal advisor to the President Guido G?mez Mazara and Supervisor of
\nPublic Works Hernani Salazar. For the economic team, the central figures are
\nCentral Bank Governor Jos? Lois Malkum, Finance Minister Rafael Calder?n,
\nIndustry & Commerce Minister Sonia Guzm?n, Technical Secretary of the Presidency
\nCarlos Despradel, and Budget Director Luis Ernesto P?rez Cuevas.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The general coordinator of the Proyecto Presidencial Hip?lito (PPH), Agriculture Minister Eligio J?quez said that the PPH and the economic team of the Mej?a administration would manage a US$100-million (RD$3.4 billion) loan-funded social program during the next 12 months. The funding would reportedly come from the National Budget and contributions made by the International Monetary … <\/p>\n