Actions to be taken by DR government on account of the economic crisis created by Russian war on Ukraine.
President Abinader announces measures to stabilize the price of fuel and the basic basket
President Luis Abinader announced this Monday the implementation of 10 measures to face the economic crisis generated in the country by the war between Russia and Ukraine, which include the urgent sending to the National Congress of a bill that will reduce 0% tariffs applied to products of the basic basket.
This measure proposed by the president would be applied provisionally for six months, and it would impact products such as refined oil, butter, margarine, powdered milk, edible fats and canned goods.
Also, chicken, garlic, pasta, beans, flour, bread, pork and beef.
These measures were announced by the head of state during a message to the entire country that was broadcast through various media, including radio and television channels, as well as the social networks of the Presidency.
鈥淭his is the moment to propose solutions, to assume sacrifices and, above all, to continue protecting the most vulnerable, who are the ones who suffer the most from inflationary processes such as the one that today affects the world economy and consequently the Dominican Republic鈥 said the president.
Fuel subsidy
Another of the measures that will be applied is to subsidize fuels with the parameter that, as long as the price of the West Texas Index (WTI) is above US$85 dollars per barrel and below US$115 dollars, the Government would keep prices unchanged. internal prices of hydrocarbons at the level of March 4, 2022.
In his speech, the president explained that any price movement above US$115 dollars per barrel will be transferred to domestic prices, without the inclusion of the ad-valorem tax in their calculation.
鈥淲ith this measure, which would have an initial duration of four months, the Government would continue to assume a permanent minimum fiscal sacrifice of at least between 600 and 1,000 million pesos per week, which represents approximately between 2,400 and 4,000 million pesos per month or, which is the same, between about 9,600 and 16,000 million pesos during its four months of application鈥, reported President Abinader.
Similarly, the Government decided to increase the direct subsidy program for the transport sector implemented by the National Institute of Transit and Passenger Transport (INTRANT), to avoid price increases in public transport.
Subsidy for corn, wheat, soybeans, flour and fats
鈥淐onsequently with the announcement we made on February 27, we will immediately subsidize imports of corn, wheat, soybeans, flour and vegetable fat by up to 10% for a period of six months. This measure, under the responsibility of the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and MiPymes, would imply up to RD$3 billion and would be implemented with the express intention of facing the rise in prices of products that use these inputs,鈥 said the president.
He added to this that as a Government, from August 2020 to date, the amounts invested in social spending have been increased by 2% of GDP, which represents an additional RD$150 billion for these purposes.
鈥淭hat is why we are in direct and constant contact with the leadership of business associations, producers, wholesalers, retailers, merchants and importers, to promote measures that safeguard the economy of the most dispossessed and prevent the middle class from being further harmed, while we overcome this price crisis caused by external factors,鈥 he said.
Direct support measures for those most in need
He reported that they will maintain the policy of targeted subsidies that was implemented from 2021 and that they will continue to promote direct support measures for those most in need, such as special food sales programs, including the increase in transfers to the Sup茅rate card; the increase in the Bono Gas subsidy, the expansion of food rations in the Economic Dining Rooms, the installation of more popular markets of INESPRE and the duplication of its warehouses.
鈥淲e will promote an inter-institutional coordination space between the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and MiPymes, the Ministry of Agriculture, the DGII and the DGA for the discussion and implementation of administrative measures that impact the retail prices of the products of the basic basket鈥, he pointed out.
Grace for Agricultural Bank loans
To avoid speculation, he specified that they will promote the use of the "Fair Prices" application, which is available from now on, as well as the publication of the reference prices of the products of the basic basket, at the level of producers or importers.
This will be done, according to the president, jointly with the private sector and will be available from next week in traditional media and social networks under the joint responsibility of the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and MSMEs and the Ministry of Agriculture, with the assistance of the Directorate of Communication of the Presidency.
鈥淲e will streamline the government procedures and permits required to avoid delays that endanger the continuous supply of goods, as well as the permits for investments that generate jobs, in accordance with the zero bureaucracy program in the process of being implemented by the State, and a grace of six months for the principal payments of the loans that have been granted by the Agricultural Bank鈥, pointed out the ruler.
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