SANTO DOMINGO. – The executive director of the National Institute for the Protection of Consumer Rights (Pro Consumer) declared this Monday that the President of the Republic, Luis Abinader, exceeded expectations in his speech accountabilityby announcing accurate measures to face the global oil price crisis aggravated by the war that began last week between Russia and Ukraine.
Eddy Alcántara highlighted among these measures is the increase in the budget of the “Get over yourself” card, which is currently RD$1.65 billion, “and that amount has been doubled to benefit more than 300,000 vulnerable people.”
“Furthermore, 500,000 new Dominicans have been added to this program so far in this administration, which demonstrates the social and human sensitivity of President Abinader,” he added.
Alcántara also referred to the adjustment of the Bono Gas subsidy from 228 pesos to RD$470.00 for all the beneficiaries, which he said “will bring peace of mind to many families.”
He indicated that another important decision announced by the president was to add another 400,000 people to this Bono Gas program.
“This adjustment in the cooking gas subsidy will be enough for the beneficiary families to afford up to approximately half a 25-pound tank of gas,” he said.
He recalled that the last adjustment was made in 2008.
The official also stated that President Abinader in his accountability speech “demonstrated his commitment by motivating the approval of the Asset Forfeiture Law to recover the money stolen from the Dominican people.”
“We hope that the legislators of the different political currents join in this purpose,” he said.
Respond to PLD criticism
Regarding the reaction of the Dominican Liberation Party (PLD) to President Luis Abinader’s accountability speech, the director of Pro Consumidor said that “very poor and hasty.”
He argued that it was a document that the PLD had prepared several days in advance “and this shows that early on Saturday they were calling the media for a press conference to publicize their reaction to the president’s great speech.” .
He said that the opposition party is criticizing things that they have not resolved in 20 years of government, “and they are so cheeky that they make these criticisms as if the Dominican people who removed him from power lost their memory.”
Alcántara said in this sense that the PLD did not resolve in the 20 years that it had to govern the problems of single mothers, the middle class, the elderly, people with disabilities, youth, micro and small entrepreneurs and from other sectors, “and wants, as part of a political act, that this administration resolve them in 18 months.”
