Prominent priest and sociologist Father Jorge Cela said yesterday that the fact that the Dominican economy is not armored against the international financial crisis, means that "the country's poorer citizens need to be protected in the 2009 budget".
Interviewed on the Uno+Uno breakfast TV program on Channel 2, the Catholic priest said that the state has a responsibility towards its poorest citizens, and when discussing the 2009 budget, the state should put an emphasis on social policies that favor the poor by guaranteeing that they receive basic services.
When asked to detail his proposals, Father Cela said that the economy of the poor functions with very simple elements, like public services, which "guarantee survival for the poor."
If the poor have health and education guaranteed, this "gives them the chance of survival."
Drinking water and transportation are two more basic needs for poor people, providing protection against the crisis. Cela said that once these basics are covered, they need jobs, so job creation should be a priority.

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