Mariotti Paz questions whether the 2026 Budget prioritizes appointments and not relief for low-income workers

Santo Domingo.– The deputy for the Dominican Liberation Party (PLD), Charlie Mariotti Paz harshly criticized that the General State Budget project for 2026 contemplates resources for new appointments and increases in several dependencies, while refusing to apply the salary indexation that would benefit more than 764,000 Dominican workers who earn less than RD$52,000 monthly.

Mariotti pointed out that, by “coincidence”, the RD$18.5 billion that – according to him – would be allocated to appointments of political colleagues and people linked to electoral campaigns, represent practically the same amount that the State would stop receiving in income if the indexation to the income tax is applied, a proposal that the legislator has promoted since last June 17.

The deputy assured that those workers are being taxed “illegally and unfairly” and that, if the Government stopped inflating the public payroll with people who “are not doing their job”, it could restore purchasing power to thousands of families hit by inflation.

Likewise, he questioned the budgetary increases granted to different institutions without a clear justification. He indicated that the Presidency of the Republic would receive an additional RD$3,000 million, the Ministry of Finance more than RD$5,000 million, the Ministry of Defense another RD$4,000 million, and the National Treasury more than RD$9,000 million to administer in instruments that, he said, are only intended for the payment of pensions and subsidies.

Project approved without indexing

Despite the opposition’s stance, the Chamber of Deputies approved this Thursday, in second discussion, without indexation, the draft Law of the General State Budget for the year 2026.

With this vote, the legislative piece is ready to be sent to the Senate of the Republic, where it must be known and voted on before being sent to the Executive Branch.