Modernization and Development comes with a price tag. Now get to cleaning up shop-wasteful spending-and improving much needed projects and services. BUT crucial is moving people Away FROM DEPENDENCY MENTALITY: The government must take care of me mentality. Medina has to start that process. Basta Ya!

Atabey, i hate to say i told you so, therefore i will restrain myself.

you cannot take yourself out of dependency mentality when your major economic thrust is tourism.

Dready,

The issue is whether or not taxes are adequate to push forward a developmental project in DR. I contend that taxes are low and have been historically speaking for that process to take hold. Yes, there is much waste and corruption, BUT the salient point is that DR's tax revenue streams have not been adequate for the task of providing for Full day K-12 education and all the other important development/modernization needed.

Push exports. Does not matter if jobs are low paying vis-a-vis first world standards. DR IS NOT FIRST WORLD! Jobs provided for low productive labor is good and will get those lazy butts off the corners.

Move nation AWAY from subsidizing energy use. Over a billion dollars are spent on this sector yearly-Almost the entire deficit!

Charge motorists $10 US tax if they enter central Santo Domingo. More buses + more cycle lanes = less jams = less import bill for oil = less pollution = fewer ill = less expensive hospital treatments = fewer road traffic accidents = spare land on overpasses for growing food = more business efficiency as people face fewer car bills and transport is quicker.

abc200

The PURPLE Apologist says:"Modernization and Development comes with a price tag."


What Modernization and Development?

Other than modernizing CORRUPTION and developing the BANK ACCOUNTS of the PLD's Political Committee!


NO New TAXES until a FULL Transparent Audit is conducted by an Internationally Recognized Forensic Accounting Firm!!

Your combination idealism and deep seated naive take on the political and economic dynamics concerning the internal affairs of nation-states is laughably evident.

This is Nothing more than a PURPLE MUGGING of the Dominican TAX PAYER by the NARCO PLD to cover up thier 12 years of mismanagement that hemorrhaged into a spend it ALL no matter what to win elections at all cost.

In 2008, with the USELESS METRO, 2010 to control the legislature and now in 2012 to try to stay out of jail!

No they want the average Dominican to pay for those orgies so they can continue to live in the CORRUPT lifestyles they have been come accustomed to with exorbitant salaries and perks , not to mention the Rolls Royce self-appoint pensions!


You’re the one that is a laughable PENDEJO Moradito, if you fall for this Criminal Theft!!

Go sit on your Hippo Salami.

Not having a rational response you go to a Ph.D. level response.

The Metro will go down as a much needed transportation system when all is said and done. As for the 13% tax rate, it's low and must be adjusted to provide enough revenue streams to adequately fund DR's modernization. Agree that corruption has to be stemmed; but more importantly is getting people off their entitlement mentality. The energy sector carries a plus 1 billion dollar deficit! Cut into that negative subsidy, streamline "las botellas," adjust those extremely high salaries and move the nation-the people away from "give me, give me." Work, education, enforcement of rules/laws = modernization.

"entitlement mentality"


Yes!!

Start with the Politicians who think they are ENTILED to Stick It Up the REARENDS of the TAXPAYERS with new TAXES when they have stolen and screwed up!


NO NEW TAXES until we have an ACCOUNTING and ACCOUNTABILTY!

Atabey, i am past the point of even discussing economic development issues. i went to an event in Santiago, which centered around developing new economic ventures. i did it at my own expense, hoping to be helpful. that is my training. i watched the proceedings, and offered to help, in any way i could, to bring the group up to speed with preparing pre feasibility studies, feasibility studies, business plans, and forecasting. i lost over 1200 pesos that day, but it did not matter, because, if i can help, i will. well, it has been over 3 weeks, and nobody as much as sent me an email to thank me for the offer. so, let them do it their way. they obviously know enough to go it alone.

Atabey, the 13% tax rate may be low. you might be right. but, guess what? if you take it above that, you are going to see rampant tax evasion, worse than it is now. you know your people. they are going to devise every scam in the book to avoid paying taxes. trust me on that one. you are going to see the type of shadow economy which will make today's situation look like a Sunday School picnic.

Dready,

The worst exponents of development in DR have been Dominicans. But those historical truths must be challenged. The low tax environment must be challenged. Remember that 1844 Law that only saw its adjustment in 2008? That Law was on the annual revenue accounting for firms. It met serious opposition from many people used to reporting phantom amounts.

Nobody has a job. Who are you going to tax?

The idea that the Congress is going to study the proposal really scares me.

These are the same clowns who studied the DR-CAFTA bill so long that all of the suppliers of work to the free zones moved their production to other Caribbean countries. That is the major reason that today the free zones are ghost towns. Their inaction caused the disaster we now face.We lost 250,000 jobs thanks to their "study".

That is why today Santiago is becoming more dangerous. There are no jobs and people are resorting to thievery and criminal activities to get by.

Let's throw these bums in jail, where they belong.

Juanb, You get no argument from me. Dominicans have been our worst exponents of growth and development. Sadly, instead of being forward thinking and challenging themselves to open up and accept modernity, they often have made matters worst by delaying the inevitable, and other small nations have taken the lead. Your example is yet another reminder of our traditional ways of doing things.

So it was back in 1966 with Balaguer and his people and so it has been for much of our modern period. Overly cautious to our own nation's regret. In many cases because of fear of foreign competition.

I'm not an economist but wouldn't raising ITBIS from 16% to 18% and raising Internet and telcom taxes another 10% deter business from expanding?

I see it like this, to balance out new taxes, I as a business owner cut spending in a few ways.
First thing I do is lay offs, to adjust for my new over head.

Then I'd stop buying needed equipment and cut corners in production, cheaper materials = lower quality, ohh but wait we don't really make anything so I'm just going to stop buying expensive imports.

On the other hand this might be what the country needs to jump start their innovation engine, since imports are so costly i'll just build what I need myself, ohh wait, damn patent laws keep me from doing that.

I guess I'll shut my business down and wait 10 year so that the new literacy plan can take effect, in the mean time I'll get a job at a call center. Or I'll just run for political office and exonerate myself from all these painful taxes.

Again the problem is not lack of REVENUES; it is with NON-PRIORITY OVERSPENDING and CORRUPTION!


Ask Lie-onel to tell us what was the figure he use to quote in 1996 regarding how much CORRUPTION used to cost the Dominican People?

Also ask him whatever happened to his rhetoric that in DR the Country was composed of two types of people "those that were corrupt and those that were in the PLD?"

the problem with itbis is that it is a consumption tax that is applied to raw material. if you have a restaurant, and you buy lobsters in bulk, you pay itbis. then, you grill them, and the end user pays itbis, again. when it gest to 185, the evasion is really going to get into top gear.

Either way the tax is paid. Upfront or the end user/consumer. What will likely happen IF Medina's Administration provides good management is better balance and the needed revenue streams for current and future public investments. The days of living large will recede and better fiscal management will reign. And yes stem the corruption in the public sector. Modernity demands fiscal prudence but with the necessary revenue streams to conduct the modernization and development of the nation state.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^
mumbo jumbo!!

Atabey, i agree! Modernization and development comes with a price tag! Palante all the way!

If for that two generations have to swallow it, then they should tax Gov. Pensions.

-How do start-ups now deal with higher ITBIS and less write offs?

-Forget buying a new car, lol. Do you think they are really going to make " public transportation" pay a 1% of the values of their vehicles? How are they going to keep track of devaluation? " a hombre, dame 200 pesitos por esa carcacha".

-Internet is already crazy expensive, now a 10% on top of that?

Even Non-profits are paying the tax, given that only about 30% are legal anyway.

All this conveniently until 2015, then they'll take over and campaign.

I mean its gonna be FUBAR

Dread why dont you take your vast expertise to the Caricom sandbars ....where it would be appreciated more......also possibly the folks in Santiago did not like listening ad nauseum to " this is how we did it in Jamaica in 72 "

deamkiller don't forget to drink your metamucil you're already too full of CACA!

Sorry to go off topic, but dreads you wrote a comment in one of the pages , where you mention a book about economic growth or something from the period of 1950s to 1970s , what is the name of that book again ? I would like some info