Santo Domingo.-The personnel expenses of the Special Fund for Agricultural Development (
FEDA) increased from RD$207,935,000 in 2021 to RD$404,748,048 in 2025 during the management of Hecmilio Arístides Galván Cruz as executive director.
The increase, close to 95% in four years, was presented in a report by the program Bajo el Foco after reviewing the official budget execution records.
In September 2021, before his arrival as director, the institution had 145 employees. Currently, the payroll is around 700 servers, according to public statements by the official himself.
The total FEDA budget also registered a significant increase: it went from RD$233 million in 2021 to more than RD$507 million executed in 2025.
In parallel, when reviewing the institution’s transparency portal, no audit corresponding to a process for which RD$1,100,000 was paid appears to be published. In addition, another audit contract for RD$1,395,000 carried out in 2025 is listed, the results of which are also not publicly available.
In previous statements on the Politikal program, Galván had pointed out that the more audits are carried out, the better for the country.
Budget growth occurs in a context in which its management has been the subject of public questioning and some official inquiries.
Hecmilio Galván’s sworn statement reflects increase in assets and vehicle does not appear in available registry
The sworn statements of assets of
Hecmilio Arístides Galván Cruz show an increase in his net worth between 2020 and 2022.
In 2020, he declared RD$7,700,036.77 as net worth. In 2022, the figure rose to RD$10,456,710.03, representing an increase of over RD$2.7 million in two years.
In that same period, his bank accounts went from RD$748,862.20 to RD$1,660,859.08. The declared value in motor vehicles remained at RD$350,000 in both 2020 and 2022.
However, in 2024, the loss of registration for a Jeep Chevrolet Suburban 1500 LT 4WD vehicle, year 2015, in the name of Hecmilio Arístides Galván Cruz, was published in the classifieds section of a national newspaper.
That vehicle is not listed in the latest publicly available sworn statement.
Affidavits are regulated by Law 311-14 and must be updated in the event of significant changes in assets.
