Santo Domingo.- Senate president Reinaldo Pared Thursday agreed that the tax breaks given to legislators must be limited, but says the civic movement Citizen Participation must also refer to the other sectors that get them, and which in two years (2008-2010) has cost the Government RD$400.0 billion.

He said the law doesn’t stipulate the amount on the exemptions for legislators but those provided to the other sectors, the privilege isn’t given by law. “As an example what the Treasury Minister said yesterday that from 2008 to 2010 more than 400 billion pesos hasn’t entered the state treasury resulting from exemptions and tax breaks in the country, they should talk about that because it’ nothing big what you can do with 200 million (pesos).”

When asked what those sectors were Pared to only said “all” and suggested looking for the list of NGOs which get funds from the budget, which receive exemptions. “What happens is that those sectors, very privileged for sure, hit them and you’ll see.”

The lawmaker said he didn’t want “to put everybody in the same bag” and warned that if he’s on some list as benefiting with exemptions, they’ll have him to deal with. He said that only it has made use of one exemption for his vehicle, but that he hasn’t benefitted from what the law gives him.

Pared, interviewed in the Blandino funeral home, referred to the list disclosed by Citizen Participation yesterday, which revealed that the exemptions for luxury vehicles for 127 legislators cost the government 266 million pesos in revenue last year.