Another Legislator's Honey Pot Revealed

Stop messing with the government. It was perfect in 2009.  Now you are allowing things to get messed up. If you like the American Canadian, or Euro systems. GO THERE!

Clearly you don't care a toss for the vast majority of Dominicans who continue to live with substandard wages and living conditions due to the massive corruption, inefficiency and ineptitude of previous governments.

Get out of your expat bubble and see real Dominican life, support change and if you dont like it, go home!

Dominicans deserve better governance.

No I don't care.  Leave it alone.

I am a supporter and backer of Danilo!

This  makes me angry.  At the very least   they need to report as INCOME whatever they receive for selling the benefit. IF they did not or do not then they  are avoiding taxation.  That could be a start.

The exoneration needs to be reasonable and be used by them, not some other party!  That is nuts.

Does this really surprise any of you?  This isn't even the tip of the ice berg.  Didn't they take off your hoods when you entered the country???   

It doesn't surprise me, no.  It does still piss me off.

That is latin america for you, Mexico is the same way in many forms, bunch of thieves and corrupted government officials. mom lives in the middle of the country (small town-retired) and even there the corruption does not stop lol

It is refreshing to see the steps being taken by Luis Abinader and his government to improve those country and tackle head on the many problems the people face day to day.

He is wealthy enough to not have follow the same route as previous politicians and can steadfastly address these ills.

I do hope he deals with this abuse of vehicle imports by legislators.

Hopefully he can make some significant impact in the remaining 3 years and keep the high approval ratings which are close to 70%.

He has the establishment against him for upsetting the 'cosy nest' but there are enough good people on his side and the people right now too.

Legislators and civil society advocate modifying the law that exempts vehicles

They condemn that there are deputies and senators who sell their exemptions to individuals and car dealers

They consider the distortion of profit to be inequitable and corrupt

https://www.diariolibre.com/actualidad/ … DK29014337

The president of the Senate, Eduardo Estrella, other legislators and representatives of civil society advocate a review of the benefit that senators and deputies enjoy by law to import tax-exempt vehicles, a grace that many negotiate with individuals and concessionaires, and For which the State stopped collecting RD $ 2,649.8 million since 2010.

"I am one of those who believe that, at a given moment, that can be modified, it can disappear," Estrella said yesterday in a television interview. "There are people who talk that exemptions are reduced at least as a first step, and that limits are set, that they are not open."

Yesterday, Diario Libre published two stories that present in depth how, on behalf of Dominican legislators, sports and luxury cars, buses for mass transportation, SUVs of the year and other units have been brought to the country without paying taxes.

In addition, among senators and deputies there is the old practice of selling for up to US $ 20,000 or RD $ 1 million that privilege that Law 57-96 gives them.

"A legislator does not have to have a privilege other than the salary that is given to him for the function," said Leidy Blanco, general coordinator of Citizen Participation. "Many legislators who have come there not with the intention of serving, it is with the intention of serving themselves, and they profit from those same privileges."

Blanco understands that the confidence of the citizen is lacerated by the fact that a legislator uses this benefit "in a corrupt manner to favor individuals."

“It is money that the people stopped receiving, that the hospitals stopped receiving, that the schools stopped receiving. Dominican society has to understand in its proper dimension what these exemptions mean, and demand and exercise greater social control, "he added.

Among the 1,148 vehicles exonerated on behalf of Dominican legislators, registered in a database provided by the General Directorate of Customs at the request of Diario Libre , there are 45 Ferraris, 11 Rolls-Royce, 40 Lamborghini, 21 McLaren, 183 Porsche and other vehicles expensive whose design and style is not the usual to travel from the provinces to the sessions in the capital's headquarters of the National Congress or to visit the towns of the interior in the work of a legislator.

The 1,148 vehicles were imported between 2010 and September 12, 2021, and represented a tax sacrifice of RD $ 2,649,859,207.26 for exempting them from the rigorous taxes.

The same legislators know that among their colleagues there are those who sell the exonerations and this was confessed by several that Diario Libre interviewed . And among vehicle dealers it is also known that they are on offer in the market.

The Perremeista senator for the Santo Domingo province, Antonio Taveras, said that the sale of the exemptions should be an issue that is raised in an eventual reform of the law.

"That should be limited, because if an exemption is given to you so that you can bring a vehicle for the use not of your personal use, but for the use of your work as a senator, it should be limited to that alone, including giving the use to that vehicle only when they are in activities of the Senate ”, expressed.

Servio Tulio Castaños Guzmán, executive vice president of the Institutionality and Justice Foundation (Finjus), considered it "inconsequential" that there are legislators who used the benefit of exemptions as a "reprehensible" mechanism that has benefited sectors outside the National Congress "that have the ability ”to meet its tax obligations.

"It is clear that the model created and approved by the legislators themselves has proven to be inequitable, irrational and inefficient from the point of view of society and the State," he commented.

Castaños Guzmán said that it is appropriate to call the legislators to reflection to start the road to reform some institutional mechanisms and controls that guarantee the distortions that "denaturalize" the essence of the legislative function such as the barrel, cofrecito and social aid.

Proposals have been presented in the National Congress to modify Law 57-96, either by establishing a cap on the amount to be exempted or by eliminating this facility to replace it with a compensatory bond. However, it is the same legislators who benefit from the exemptions who have not approved changing the current law.

Leonardo Suero, political delegate of the Christian Democratic Union (UDC) party, considered that it should be eliminated or limited to an exemption for each legislator to bring a utility vehicle that does not cost more than US $ 40 thousand in the market.

"This must be considered, even, in the modification of the Electoral Regime Law and the Law of Political Parties," said Suero, noting that the country's Constitution establishes that it is not possible to legislate for personal benefit.

The deputy for Alianza País, José Schedule Rodríguez, recalled that in October 2020, he resigned the two exemptions that correspond to him in the current legislative period because he understands that it is "a privilege that irritates the public."

"Now that there is talk of discussing a tax reform, that issue cannot be left out of the debate, that of legislators' exemptions and many other tax exemptions that have no justification," he said.

The government is also proposing a budget for the coming year which is going to be less than last year despite all the additional covid costs. Their efforts at eliminating waste and graft throughout government and inefficiency is beginning to show dividends.

Wow let's see how much of this talk is for show!

And why do you worry about it?  I love the way it was and cannot wait for it to return.

So you love graft, corruption and stealing from the people??

It does matter because this opens up the pandoras box of tax exemptions given to many parties and businesses which deny the country much needed tax revenue and has rattled legislators who seek to deflect crticism. See article below.

DR has huge potential to develop if there is better econmomic management with far less rampant corruption and the cronyism of the past governments.

All Dominican people deserve better infrastructure, education, health provision, employemt opportinities and wages with good benefits not just going to a very few.

Deputies defend their car exemption with an attack on businessmen

https://www.diariolibre.com/actualidad/ … DP29041332

Several deputies used the session of the legislative body yesterday to allege that the disclosure of the multimillion-dollar benefit they enjoy for the importation of vehicles responds to a compromise of the business sector, which they assure resorts to such actions when a tax reform is approaching.

The deputies Aquilino Serrata, Tobías Crespo and Julito Fulcar assumed the defense by alleging that there are sectors that seek to discredit the representatives of the National Congress with the issue of motor vehicle exemptions, for which the State for the last 11 years has stopped to receive RD $ 2,649.8 million in taxes.

The deputies reacted to an extensive report, published last Monday by Diario Libre, by the journalist Mariela Mejía, with the title "Exoneration of vehicles to legislators: an expensive privilege that went into business."

That Diario Libre report was completely an initiative of the editorial team, free from suggestions or external pressure, and a data journalism work carried out by Mejía, based on the reports of the General Directorate of Customs (DGA).

Orchestrated "script"

The deputy of the People's Force, Aquilino Serrata, was the first to exhaust a previous turn during the ordinary session. Although he favored the elimination of Law 57-97, he acknowledged that he has received six vehicle exemptions.

The deputy argued that it is a "script" orchestrated by the business sector, the fact that details have been published about the vehicle exemptions granted to legislators, a list that he heads.

Visibly annoyed Serrata said: “Now, there are other sectors that receive exonerations. For example, the judicial sector, the entire diplomatic corps, prosecutors, judges, generals, colonels and others who receive exonerations ... ”.

He suggested to Diario Libre, as the "producers" of the alleged script, "to make another script about the tax exemptions that the Government grants to businessmen, which represent RD $ 236 billion pesos annually." However, the legislator did not argue about the reasons why, under his name, three vehicles of the Bentley, Lamborghini and Porsche brands, respectively, and two Mercedes Benz, were imported into the Dominican Republic, for a total exonerated amount of 23,992,641.23 pesos. between the years 2013 to 2021.

He criticized that "here even third-rate officials have a vehicle assigned to them, for his wife, even to take the dogs to the vet they have an assigned vehicle."

He argued that the congressmen are "guinea pigs" of the business sector, and that every time he wants to "knock down" an issue he uses the legislators what in his opinion "that has to end."

He defined himself as a transparent person and that everything he has done has been done correctly.

He acknowledged that it is no secret to anyone that deputies transfer their exonerations and questioned why he headed the list of legislators who have received exonerations when he understands that there are others who have received more of those privileges. “So, I hold the AFPs responsible for this dirty campaign against us deputies. And that cause, whoever speaks to them is not going to leave it. On the contrary, now I hug her more. One hundred percent I am with that cause, "he said.

In addition, he recommended conducting research on imports from the agricultural sector that have bankrupt national producers, on the hikes in electricity prices and blackouts and other national problems.

"Guinea pigs"

The second to exhaust a previous turn was the deputy of the People's Force, Tobías Crespo, who questioned whether they want to damage the image of the National Congress and use the legislators as a "guinea pig." “We want to tell those sectors that there are a lot of serious people here. Much more serious than them. I am not the most serious, but none of them are more serious than us, ”he said.

He seconded the presentation of his party partner, Serrata, in the sense that there is RD $ 236 billion that the State stops receiving due to exemptions to various sectors such as, for example, the business sectors, the Pension Fund Administrators (AFP ), generators, who receive subsidies, among others.

"Bad intentions"

In this regard, the spokesman for the block of deputies of the Modern Revolutionary Party (PRM), Julito Fulcar, acknowledged that it is a thorny issue and also considers that there are people who with "bad intentions" want to try to discredit the representatives of the Legislative Power. He argued that, although the National Congress is the representation of society, there "there are also serious and responsible people, honorable people." He said that, just as in the National Congress there is “everything”, between journalists and businessmen, too.

If you are referring to giving a donation for people to look the other way... YES.  One of the biggest reasons I love the country.  Where who you knows matters.

oldsouthschool - you are indeed old school and totally out of touch with reality in DR.

The vast majority of Dominicans and expats too are 'sick to the teeth' with inefficiencies in service and in large part the slow service is due to 'propinas' being sought at all levels.

The head needs to be cut off from the malaise of corruption that diverts money from efficiency and public needs and keeps Dominicans in the large part poor, with poor services and infrastructure and poorly paid.

These legislators are abusing their position exploiting a given perk through pre arranged selling on of expensive vehicles to dealerships knowing that taxes are being avoided and that is corrupt. And if they did not have immunity they should have been held to account.

You too need to make efforts to stop bribing people to help make this country a better place.

Lennox -- loving what u write and the position from which you have when writing (I think you are a Brit if I recall correctly)

The key is to find methods to change what is clearly an aberration of epic proportions that will actually work

I am a believer in opening up government records to the population via an open data plan -- UK one is here  https://data.gov.uk/ and it allows all records to be made available  to be written into apps that start to shine a light on things.

This is in no way an answer to the issues you raise but it starts to represent the framework on which a light can be shone and the drumbeat of change can start to happen.

Having said that I have always thought 5 Ferraris are better than 1 - and a couple of Lambo's for the weekend !!!!!!

Watch your back out there.  There are more snakes than you think. It might just be your head cut off.

If you don't like the DR in the form it was in LEAVE. Do not ruin it for the rest of us.

Always remember the fate of the Sisters Maribel.

oldsouthphoto wrote:

If you don't like the DR in the form it was in LEAVE. Do not ruin it for the rest of us.

Enlighten us.

Who are 'the rest of us'?

As I said above you are 'old school' and out of touch with the new reality that elected this President and government with a landslide a year ago wanting change from the failures and corruption of the past.

You are almost certainly the one who will have to move on as an era of change beckons which it appears you don't like. There won't be a going back to the bad times now the 'pueblo' have seen the rampant corruption being uncovered at the top and being prosecuted. It will take time but it has started.

The Barrel:

Advertising, remodeling of offices and even payments to prisoners, this is how senators spend the funds from the "Barrilito"

https://www.diariolibre.com/actualidad/ … MI29561872

The social assistance fund, better known as “Barrilito” , which Dominican senators receive each month is used by most of them to cover expenses that have nothing to do with the regulations stipulated for its delivery.

The Dominican State delivers almost 300 million pesos annually . Legislators receive between 739 thousand and more than one million pesos a month, depending on the amount of population in the demarcation they represent. That money is for "social expenses."

The president of the Senate, Eduardo Estrella, as well as legislators Antonio Taveras Guzmán and Faride Raful resigned from receiving these funds.

Apart from the “barrel”, the senators receive 700 thousand pesos in December (extraordinary item) and 500 thousand in May for the mothers. For attending the sessions they receive RD $ 3,500 for diet; RD $ 2,400 for commissions, a sum that increases if the legislator is part of the management firm.

His salary is RD $ 320,000; RD $ 48,000 for representation expenses, the same amount for lodging, RD $ 32,000 for fuel. Monthly income totals RD $ 448,000.

For assistance they give you

In addition to the non-regulation and lack of controls, an investigation by the Alicia Ortega Report research program showed that most of these funds are used for advertising payments, remodeling of senatorial offices, payment of apartments and houses, gifts, seafood delicacies, expensive wines and even the delivery of money to a prisoner accused of murder was documented to pay bail.

There is also the case of a consul, who received, after requesting, a sum of money to be able to travel and assume his functions. Other consumptions were destined for beauty contests, bariatric surgery, purchases from their own companies, as well as the payment of amounts lower than those reported to employees. This occurs while poor people get tired of waiting for the help they have requested from those legislators and precisely for which they receive that money.

The case of Victoria Yeb

The representative of the María Trinidad Sánchez province, Alexis Victoria Yeb, has registered expenses of more than 86,000 in temporary aid and 185,000 in medical aid to four people: the amounts are RD $ 10,000, RD $ 15,000, RD $ 30,000 and up to RD $ 50,000.

The legislator of that demarcation, Victoria Yeb, justified the way in which it handles those resources by claiming that it delivered them "to people who come with requests for medical aid" and "depending on what they request during the month."

In the arrangement of the senatorial office, he spent in October 2020 more than 800 thousand pesos, almost 200,000 more than what was assigned for that, which amounts to RD $ 694,000. In total it spent was 1,034 pesos. He has another expense of RD $ 75,000 to a man identified as Narcizo Cruz Penzo, for advice. On this, the legislator said that a single payment was made.

Precisely this senator was the one who paid the sum of 200,000 for the payment of bariatric surgery to an "employee" of the office who supposedly died during the operation. The payment was made to the Obesity and Surgery Clinic. In November of that year, spending on medical aid was almost a million pesos, according to details of the program. Other expenses were RD $ 105,000 and RD $ 36,000 for the purchase of various sarcophagi and RD $ 7,000 for coffins.

RD $ 223,000, RD $ 23,000, RD $ 34,500 and RD $ 43,800 are other expenditures that appear in the reports of the Senate Office of María Trinidad Sánchez for drug expenses. These leave in the name of the company Cristalia, whose telephone number is the same as that of the company Victoria Yeb SA and is registered in the industrial zone of Herrera, in the Santo Domingo Oeste municipality, where the senator's company is located and is dedicated to the medication sale.

El Torito and its advertising expenses

A part of the funds received by Monsignor Nouel's merenguero and senator, the singer Héctor Acosta, goes to pay for advertising. Only in December it reported RD $ 110,000; RD $ 59,700, in March; RD $ 80,000, in April and May and a sum greater than RD $ 200 thousand in August of this 2021

Advertising is not an established line for social assistance fund expenses.

El Torito, as the artist is popularly known, spent more than RD $ 125,000 on gardening work for his office. This was in December 2020.

Checks payable to a woman in Montecristi

The Montecristi National Office, whose seat is held by Senator Ramón Pimentel Gómez, issues checks in the name of a woman named Gisell Inés Frías, who said in a phone call that she was buying fuel. There is a check for it for RD $ 43,000. Two other checks for RD $ 75,000 were issued in the name of the same woman in October and two more for the same amount in November. The sums were supposedly for "social assistance in the Palo Verde batey, in Castañuelas and rural areas."

Other checks were for RD $ 31,000, RD $ 30,000 for decoration of the Senate Office. And another also in his name for "miscellaneous expenses" for RD $ 34,000.

With copies of certificates and without acknowledgment of receipt, there are expenses of RD $ 300,000 for “aid”. They do not have the signature of the person receiving the money, as established by the regulations of the Senate Social Assistance Fund.

Felix Bautista's expenses

Félix Bautista has been a senator for San Juan for more than 11 years. His Senate Office has that time issuing funds for amounts ranging between RD $ 10,000, RD $ 20,000 and RD $ 40,000. These assets do not reach the people for whom they were disbursed, according to the television program that contacted them. Among the names are Maximiliana Cordero, María Antonia Cruz, Irene Altagracia Cruz.

This congressman was paying a debt of more than RD $ 1,900,000 for gifts from mothers. The money was taken in 2017 and still in May of this year it was paid.

Antonio Marte: payments of 64 thousand a month for picaderas

César Saint Hilarie collects checks for RD $ 20,000, RD $ 30,000 and up to two for RD $ 20,000 in a single month at the Senate Office of Santiago Rodríguez, directed in this management by the senator and public transport businessman Antonio Marte. The man is also named on the payroll with RD $ 15,000 with the position of public relations officer.

In this regard, the congressman said that these "grants" were granted "for collaboration for social activities (...) and sports." Two others, he assured that they were for the payment of treatment for COVID-19, which the checks do not say.

From February to January, former PLD deputy Nancy Santos received amounts of RD $ 20,000 and RD $ 25,000. Regarding these contributions, he said that he received it by serving as a liaison with some agricultural producers. Saint Hilarie and Santos also received Easter royalty.

Other expenditures have been for payment of hotel stays, restaurant services, picaderas for meetings in the senatorial office for more than RD $ 64,000 per month.

More: (Dominican journalists have found their voice to question the misuse of public finds at last)

With funds from the "Barrilito" legislators pay even Christmas gifts

https://www.diariolibre.com/actualidad/ … MI29565595

Much of the fund of the famous "Barrilito" that the Dominican senators receive is used for expenses that have nothing to do with the regulations stipulated for its delivery.

In the municipality of Puerto Plata, the disbursement for advertising in the Senate Office has increased, by October 2020 it had a monthly record of RD $ 118,000, however, by August 2021 it grew to more than RD $ 180,000, an expense that maintains an independent accounting , although it is not among the lines established as social assistance in the Upper House.

Some expenses included in the so-called “Barrilito” stand out for their peculiarity , as is the case of the contribution of the payment to a judicial bail for RD $ 20,000 in Samaná for a man investigated for homicide.

In the South region, specifically in the municipality of San Cristóbal , the social fund resources initially went to spending on architecture and works of art. Since October of last year they began with the remodeling and reconstruction of the facade and the interior of the Senate and Provincial Office.

According to the journalistic investigation program El Informe con Alicia Ortega , the first payment for the Senate Office, which is rented , was RD $ 890,037.19 , and by June the work was going for RD $ 1,157,000 . Also, they used RD $ 141,000 in the assembly and organization of the event of the reopening of said office in paintings and sculptures.

Sister Mirabal Province

In this province, the money from the Barrilito is enough to pay private debts, as is the case of Ramón Orlando Rosario Rosario , who was authorized by Senator Bautista Rojas Gómez to be favored with the balance of a commitment acquired by him, for an amount of RD $ 271,133 . Payments have been made in installments of more than RD $ 45,000 per month.

The financial records of this senatorial office also present reimbursements for purchases of beverages, expenses in activities with communicators , gift vouchers that do not have any proof of delivery, construction and housing arrangements for hundreds of thousands of pesos per month that do not have required supports. by the same Senate.

Like other demarcations, in the senatorial administration of Rojas Gómez, checks are made payable to funeral homes, but these do not have proof of the service provided. Also social benefits paid with checks, but without a copy of the beneficiary's identity card and the signature on a receipt.

There are records of payments for large sums of money to the coordinator of the Senate Office, which supposedly are for "Christmas gifts", construction, among other expenses. These expenses are not clear, since most of them lack invoices in the monthly reports of this province.

Senator Rojas Gómez did not want to answer questions when approached by the research program El Informe.

Independence Province

In this province headed by Senator Valentín Medrano Pérez , there were three checks issued without any support, some for amounts of RD $ 273,000 and RD $ 106,392.32 without any specification of the use, reason for the expense or the beneficiaries.

This is reflected in the report of the accounting department of the Senate, which states in its observations that "the check for RD $ 273,000 for various financial aid, please attach support." Similar observations were also made to other checks.

In addition, in the same Senate Office of Independence, checks of up to RD $ 50,000 per month are issued for aid. These beneficiaries said they were collaborators of the senator's office (Medrano Pérez) as is the case of Inocencio Novas Castillo , who appears on the payroll with a salary of RD $ 5,000.

When contacted by El Informe with Alicia Ortega, Novas Castillo affirmed that he receives aid from the senator in the amount of RD $ 10,000. “If I work in the Senate Office of Baní. The function I perform is coordinator, I coordinate the activities and all the things, "he said.

However, according to the reports presented to the Senate, Novas Castillo receives up to two monthly checks for more than RD $ 20,000 each from the social fund that are only known as “aid”. This despite the fact that the senators have assigned RD $ 829,000 per month for the payroll of their offices in the Senate and in the provincial office.

Medical aids and collaborations for the purchase of construction materials do not have proof of expenditure, as required by the regulations that include the invoice or the signed and stamped medical indication. Aid in checks also does not have the identity card of the beneficiaries.

An interesting read of an interview with Milagros Ortiz Bosch today in el Caribe:

"Most legislators will leave if they don't get the message"

https://www.elcaribe.com.do/panorama/al … l-mensaje/

With more than 65 years of political experience, living closely with events that have impacted the contemporary history of the country and its earned reputation for adherence to ethics and correctness, the Director of Ethics and Government Integrity, Milagros Ortiz Bosch, advised legislators To know how to interpret the message that citizens send about privileges such as the barrel (social assistance fund) and exonerations, and she warned that if they do not understand it, the majority will lose in 2024.

“Most will leave if they don't get the message. They will realize that their time has passed. I was a senator with a salary of 54 thousand pesos, I had a driver and a secretary, and I did everything I had to do as a senator. The parties have to learn the message: the current president (Luis Abinader) is that message, if you don't understand what the people are shouting, what the people want ... they are going to take them away. I'm 85 years old and I'm still here not because I want to, I'm still here because I've always listened to what the people wanted, what society wanted ”, she reflected.

She argued that congressmen must understand that it is not receiving privileges that gives that position, but rather interpreting the sentiment of the people.

“Legislative friends, colleagues or not, have to realize and be convinced that it is not the barrel that gives the position, it is the interpretation of their people, it is to understand in what state of development a nation is pushing; This is a difficult task that could perhaps be solved if the parties demand or reform the salary situation of legislators and understand that whoever is a candidate has to adjust to what they are going to win, not by disposition of a party, but by correct interpretation of the Dominican people ”, she commented.

The official spoke in the Special Interview of elCaribe and CDN, led by the director of elCaribe, Nelson Rodríguez; the director of CDN, Alba Nely Familia; the Editor-in-Chief, Héctor Marte, and the commentator for Despierta con CDN, Julissa Céspedes. Ortiz Bosch was accompanied by Iván Cruz, Planning Director, and Berenice Barinas, Executive Director.

"There is no one to turn it back"

For Ortiz Bosch there is no one to stop the police reform carried out by the Government. She bases her affirmation on the fact that she claims to know the ruler very well, which she dares to affirm is determined when he assumes causes.

“The day the Police discover that we are all equal and that the rights of the other must be respected, that day the long-awaited reform will begin to work, which seems to be beginning to advance ... There is no one to put it back, I know Luis Abinader, I have known him for many years, almost since he was born, and I have the firmness of what he is, ”she said.

She added that it was precisely for this reason that she accepted the position of Director of Government Ethics. “I am here, accepting this position and accompanied by many special people, because I believe that we have an opportunity to improve Dominican society, to organize it better; I am here because I believe in that ”, she stressed.

"We would like more dynamic justice"

The Director of Government Ethics and Integrity considered that the justice administration system must be more dynamic and that it is something that must be strengthened together.

"That is my answer, everything that has happened in the pandemic, in investment, in dedication, in the best known cases of corruption, but we must give a boost to the Dominican justice in a generalized way ... Especially in the budget that can be the fundamental basis of the delay ”, he considered. The veteran politician said that justice is two parts and a budget.

"The number of dimensions that justice has fallen on: the paralysis that the covid has produced, including the conflicts of whether or not virtual knowledge of a legal case is legal ... also the few resources to carry out the investigation , the situation that was found from the technological point of view, then, it is not so easy to follow up on things; we follow up, but I would like to say that we would like to see a dynamic justice ”, she said.

Ortiz Bosch links that change to an improvement in the budget of the justice system. “We would like to see that also in all these pacts that are being made; It is necessary to know that justice is not of a category in the public Administration; I would say that a great effort is being made to discover what affects us the most, but now that there is a new vision of the budget, be honest with the Judiciary and tell them how we can help them so that justice is also credible, "she stressed.

She argued that for the first time leaders of a political party that governs are subject to justice and cited the case of the National Lottery.

"What I asked was that there be an acceleration of the cases, there is a delay, we hope that things improve, but we present the cases without discrimination," she clarified.

She explained that in the cases of officials who commit acts that conflict with ethics, it is acted upon by presenting the case before the Ministry of Public Administration, while in the event that they commit themselves criminally, the offenders are sent to justice.

"Now Public Works sent us a case, with everything investigated and proven, of a person who was recorded on the phone asking for money to make the liquidation of the severance possible, it is sent where it should be sent," revealed the official.

She recalled that justice is independent and that once the cases are presented, the central administration detaches itself from the following processes. "We cannot say that justice is independent and we mess with something else behind," she observed.

She said that so far they have submitted 26 criminal cases to the authorities of the Public Ministry.

"Complaints come through different channels, the secretariats, and there is also a portal and a line for calls where people not only report, but also make suggestions," she explained.

She argued that the balance of the number of corruption complaints that arrive by telephone has been very large, going from three to 42 a month.

Ortiz Bosch reflected that it is difficult to create ethics because it is not just about reporting and investigating. “It is that the system helps to arrive at opportune definitions; there are cases that take two months on average, before it was six or seven months, only in October we have received 42 complaints ", she explained.

She added that they are also looking into those from the past and are contacting people to ask if they are still interested. "We have strengthened some directions, in some more was needed and we have budgetary limitations, it is a beautiful task with investment limitations," she acknowledged.

Change culture of corruption

Ortiz Bosch advised not to tire of the fight against corruption. "It must be shown that the corruption from which you benefit takes away many people's progress, takes away their little house, takes away their water, takes away their electricity," she stressed. However, she said that progress has been made in that regard.

“You listen to many people because the fight against corruption is universal, it is that everything that moves, even international loans, foreign investment has to do with whether the country is transparent or not; we are in a world in which we all survive growing up or we all go under, but the world is not suicidal, the human being is not suicidal ”, said the Director of Ethics and Integrity. She gave as an example the cases that have shaken the country, highlighting that these are signs of change. She argued that ethical conduct has permeated the sentiment of citizens and that is why there was a change in the model of government.

“The change was not due to an emotion, it was due to a need for demand from the people; and it is good to say it so that those in power today understand that this feeling exists ”, she commented during the interview in which he affirmed that timely information is a right.

Work of the Transparency Cabinet

Regarding the Ethics Cabinet that President Abinader created, she said that it is a different body from the Ethics and Integrity Directorate. She explained that the cabinets are for managing specific issues. “From the Ethics Cabinet there is the transparency portal and the publication of purchase payments that the government makes every month, and platforms are being developed so that the budget is executed within the SIGEP and in January everyone has to be executing the budget there, ”she said. He highlighted that the Dominican Republic is the only country in Latin America that rose points on the issue of transparency. "We are doing it with the objective of gaining international prestige and in all organizations".

Warning

That government officials know that answering on time is an obligation and that it can become a crime. "

Prestige

We are working to gain international prestige in matters of ethics; we are the only country in Latin America that made progress ”.

Interesting!  Thanks for sharing.

A must read for anyone doubting there are changes afoot.