The yellow protesters now have more reason to fight.
SANTO DOMINGO.- President Leonel Fernandez on Tuesday sent to the Senate a tax reform package to seek increased revenue, aimed at allocating more funds for education, a measure that comes in the wake of mounting protests demanding the allocation of 4% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to education, as the law stipulates.
The bill increases taxes on luxury houses, lowers the rate on dividends and charges 10% on the transactions or gross sales of betting parlors, while simplifying the Income Tax payment.
In the annexed letter sent to Senate president Reinaldo Pared, the Head of State says the new taxes form part of a demand in the Stand-by Agreement signed with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), " which seeks to comply with to the burning desire that advocates a higher investment in education, a commitment equally assumed with that organization in 2009,"
According to the legislation, the measures aim to obtain a revenue windfall equal to 0.5 percent of the GDP (around RD$9.5 billion according to the 2010 GDP), of which an important proportion would be spent in the construction, remodeling and furnishing of schools.
From: United States, Washington
Laudable... increase spending on public services will have high rewards later on. HOWEVER, how about we tax wealth or land?
Written by: Atabey, 1 Jun 2011 10:06 AM
From: United States, NYC
Written by: baldoria23, 1 Jun 2011 8:08 AM
From: Pakistan, Lahore
Laudable... increase spending on public services will have high rewards later on. HOWEVER, how about we tax wealth or land?
That appears to be in the cards but will be triggered after all properties and land are digitally registered. The State will need more funding sources and surely will find them in those two areas. User fees are likely to increase, too. Ask any Dominican living in DR and s/he will tell you that taxes have gone up significantly in the past ten years. Spending, however, has increased even faster.
From: United States
I'm with the president! BUT... Beware, less you become like us in the USA that think throwing money at a situation will solve the issue. From my experience in the D.R. a place I love! it's really about educating the educators far to many teachers that are in it for money... we have the same thing in the US, teachers like that have no business in the classroom. The other big problem is parents lack of involvment and oversight. So before you hound the president to spend more on Education also understand there is a lot that could be fixed with no money at all.
From: Dominican Republic, Puerto Plata
And it's only just begun.
From: United States, FREEPORT, Long Island.... (Look, beyond the words)
Imagine if leonel would have focused more on education 10yrs ago , comments like Rev's would never take place.
Written by: bernies, 1 Jun 2011 10:49 AM
From: United States, key west fl
If this new taxes are to be alocate it for education why is doesn't say on the bill what is the percentage of those taxes that are actually going to go education because if it doesn't say it at the end on 10% will go education and the rest will go to the politicians pockets. I will support this initiative if that is the case.
Written by: Atabey, 1 Jun 2011 11:32 AM
From: United States, NYC
"Written by: WalterPolo, 1 Jun 2011 10:35 AM
From: Dominican Republic, Puerto Plata
And it's only just begun."
I think that looking back say ten years from now many Dominicans will say about 2011: "Those were the days of low taxation."
Nothing short of a National Crusades is needed to get a handle on the educational deficit in DR. Money is needed, but better management and better trained Teachers and Administrators are urgent. The responsibilities of parents in the equation is likewise crucial. Any National Educational System MUST included a significant Adult Learning component. By so tackling the Adult educational deficit, better dividends in children education can be expected.
From: United States, words of wisdom from the nutcracker
keep protesting , keep pushing , until the dice breaks , keep leonel staggering unitl he meats defeat , dominicans must do the same when the next president follows , dont stop protesting even if it gets violent , only way dominicans are ever going to get of the dark , is education and the development of the mind .
Written by: Escott, 1 Jun 2011 12:32 PM
From: Dominican Republic, Cabrera and Sosua a 2 days a month for payday
Non Violent protests are more valuable than VIOLENT for heavens sake. Only from someone from another country would this statement come.
That being said LEO is just getting into your pockets and will put the money into the METRO like last time. Don't be SHEEP no mo. Rally against this BS!
Written by: danny00, 1 Jun 2011 3:40 PM
From: United States, syosset, key west, santo domingo AND NOW THE GLOBE TROTTER
From: United States
not like the "cat", lies have many more than nine lives in the dominican life.
we all know the truth of that.
the right masters the art of the lie.
distort, fabricate and repeat. politics with its repetition of lies.
the propaganda machine of president leo, does it really matter abaout the tourists and the hotel business?
this government as past governments has absoutelly no intentions of sharing any wealth that the country earns with its citizen's.
does it???
Written by: airgordo, 1 Jun 2011 7:58 PM
From: Dominican Republic
the education excuse on this bill is just to FOOL the FOOLS, there is no commitment on this goverment for education!!! as there is not to fullfill a LAW that this good for nothing Signed!!
By the way, on dominican republic MONEY is EVERYTHING for education, we are 12,000 classrooms BEHIND!! 12,000!!, we are 13 or 14 years BEHIND as the education LAW tha PROVIDES the MONEY was signed by this clown on 1997
Please reserach the Plan Decenal de educacion and SEE with your own eyes that is MONEY, and LOTs of it, what is needed!! we just took 700 MILLION EUROS for the Metro ALONE and there is no money for education
Written by: juanb, 1 Jun 2011 10:26 PM
From: Dominican Republic
No one with half a brain believes that this money will gop to education.
Thios huge increase in taxes (notice the article doesn't mention phone and cable increase) is just for show.
That way the IMF will continue to lend money so that all the gov't crooks can continue to steal it.
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From: Pakistan, Lahore
Laudable... increase spending on public services will have high rewards later on. HOWEVER, how about we tax wealth or land?
That appears to be in the cards but will be triggered after all properties and land are digitally registered. The State will need more funding sources and surely will find them in those two areas. User fees are likely to increase, too. Ask any Dominican living in DR and s/he will tell you that taxes have gone up significantly in the past ten years. Spending, however, has increased even faster.
From: Dominican Republic, Puerto Plata
And it's only just begun."
I think that looking back say ten years from now many Dominicans will say about 2011: "Those were the days of low taxation."
Nothing short of a National Crusades is needed to get a handle on the educational deficit in DR. Money is needed, but better management and better trained Teachers and Administrators are urgent. The responsibilities of parents in the equation is likewise crucial. Any National Educational System MUST included a significant Adult Learning component. By so tackling the Adult educational deficit, better dividends in children education can be expected.
That being said LEO is just getting into your pockets and will put the money into the METRO like last time. Don't be SHEEP no mo. Rally against this BS!
not like the "cat", lies have many more than nine lives in the dominican life.
we all know the truth of that.
the right masters the art of the lie.
distort, fabricate and repeat. politics with its repetition of lies.
the propaganda machine of president leo, does it really matter abaout the tourists and the hotel business?
this government as past governments has absoutelly no intentions of sharing any wealth that the country earns with its citizen's.
does it???
By the way, on dominican republic MONEY is EVERYTHING for education, we are 12,000 classrooms BEHIND!! 12,000!!, we are 13 or 14 years BEHIND as the education LAW tha PROVIDES the MONEY was signed by this clown on 1997
Please reserach the Plan Decenal de educacion and SEE with your own eyes that is MONEY, and LOTs of it, what is needed!! we just took 700 MILLION EUROS for the Metro ALONE and there is no money for education
No one with half a brain believes that this money will gop to education.
Thios huge increase in taxes (notice the article doesn't mention phone and cable increase) is just for show.
That way the IMF will continue to lend money so that all the gov't crooks can continue to steal it.