Raquel Peña rules out tax reform; affirms Government will continue dialogue on labor reform
The vice president stated that the Government will maintain "targeted" aid to prevent the international rise in fuel prices from hitting the most vulnerable households and assured that the decisions of the Abinader administration have been built "on the basis of consensus"
Vice President Raquel Peña ruled out this Wednesday that the Government contemplates pushing a tax reform, affirming that President Luis Abinader has already made his position clear on the matter. "The president said it: no reforms," she said when asked about the possibility of a new tax initiative.
Peña maintained that the economic pressures facing the country are mainly associated with the international context and the rise in oil prices.
The vice president explained that one of the main pressure factors on public finances and the cost of living is the behavior of oil. According to her, the National Budget estimated a price of around US$60 per barrel, but recently the price stood at nearly US$88, a difference that – she stressed – ends up impacting the cost of energy and, in turn, other goods and services.
Faced with this scenario, Peña defended the response of the Executive Branch and the economic team, pointing out that the Government has faced these variations through "targeted" subsidies. In particular, she assured that the management of fuel prices will remain a priority to cushion the external blow. "You have also seen how we have managed fuel prices. That will continue. We will keep working," she said.
The vice president stated that the focus, going forward, will be on protecting lower-income sectors.
"We must really ensure that the most vulnerable people are not impacted," she said, acknowledging that the international conflict has inevitable effects on hydrocarbon-importing economies like the Dominican one.
Labor reform
Regarding the labor reform, Raquel Peña stated that the Government led by President Luis Abinader will keep conversations open with the various sectors, with the aim that any decision or measure adopted will ultimately result in a direct benefit for the country's employees and workers.
Peña maintained that the administration has been "characterized by dialogue" and that everything approved and executed so far has been the product of agreements built on consensus.
"Everything we have approved, we have carried out, has been based on the result of consensus. And now it will not be different either," the vice president said, referring to the conversations the Government is holding on issues related to the world of work.
In that sense, she indicated that "several meetings" have already been held and that the exchange process will continue. "We will keep talking, we will keep moving forward," she added, without offering details on deadlines or specific measures.
Peña insisted that the purpose of this process is that workers in the Dominican Republic "can continue to have more achievements every day" regarding their working conditions, within a framework of dialogue.
In the context of the national debate on employment and labor conditions, the Government has reiterated on various occasions that its proposals seek to balance positions between sectors and sustain agreements in negotiation spaces.
