Santo Domingo.– The Minister of Finance and Economy, Magín Díaz, has once again brought up the need for a tax reform in the Dominican Republic, indicating that the issue should not be avoided if necessary and if a general consensus is reached.
In an interview on CDN this Monday, Díaz emphasizes that the government has plans for a reform and that President Luis Abinader does not oppose it.
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Regarding this, lawmakers consulted on the matter stated that before addressing a possible tax reform, the “excessive” government spending should be reviewed.
In that sense, the deputy for the Fuerza del Pueblo, Carlos de Pérez, said “It is possible that it is a necessity, but the Government must review some extraordinary expenses out of place such as advertising investment.”
Likewise, Abelardo Rutinel, a pro-government deputy, highlighted that several sectors of national life in the public hearings of Congress expressed the need for a tax reform to be carried out, however, he indicated that “the time” in which it will be opportune should be evaluated.
From his side, the deputy of the Dominican Revolutionary Party (PRD), Ramón Raposo, stated that the Government is the one who must establish what sacrifices they will make to lighten the burden on the population, given that this is not the time to unsettle Dominican society.
“This is not the time to unsettle Dominican society with a tax reform; at one point, a unilateral tax reform was intended to be presented, and the President of the Republic himself saw how Dominican society told him to stop,” Raposo pointed out.
It is recalled that Díaz emphasized the importance of addressing tax reform in a progressive manner, where “those who have more pay more”, and that the fight against tax evasion be “serious, professional, with a professional team in charge of that”.
The minister is confident that society will accept these measures if they are carried out in this way.
He added that the president will do “what he has to do to maintain the macro and fiscal stability of the country and to stabilize the public debt” which suggests a political will to move forward if conditions are favorable.
