SANTO DOMINGO.- The president of the Senate on Thursday hailed what he called new elements in the Constitution to attack corruption forcibly, but acknowledged that more political will is need to fight it successfully.

Reinaldo Pared also announced that the open tax exemptions with which the legislators buy luxury vehicles will be eliminated, but the senators will keep the “social fund” popularly called “barrilito” (little barrel). “They cannot be open (exemptions), that is certainly irritating.”

As to the “barrilito,” the lawmaker said its management has been transparent and whose discretion would be eliminated, by establishing a rendering of account on each beneficiary. “My goal has been a transparent exercise in the Senate: the 32 senators have their sworn financial statement and that had never been done; we opened the Access to the Information Office, which didn’t exist; we eliminated the NGOs and we created the Department of the Comptroller.”

Pared also warned that the “bagman” has already disappeared and affirmed that the social fund would be managed more rigorously, where a legislator who doesn’t sustain will not receive it in the following month.

Interviewed on CDN Television, the ruling PLD party General Secretary also warned that although in his view president Leonel Fernandez has always had the will to eradicate government corruption, the officials need to be part of that effort.