Taxation increases could be forthcoming, if comments by Gerry Rice, External Relations Department director of the International Monetary Fund, are anything to go by. Answering a question from the press on 12 January on the status of the Dominican Republic-IMF Stand-by Arrangement he hinted that taxation reform was on the government agenda. An IMF special delegation visited in December to discuss the status of the IMF agreement, with the seventh and eighth reviews pending and new disbursements within the program on hold.

"On the status of the program, the Fund keeps a close dialogue with the authorities and continues working on policy and technical issues related to the programs. The dates for an eventual future mission are still to be determined," he commented.

But then he observed: "I want to say on this question of the special delegation, what that is referring to is that at the request of the authorities there was a team of tax experts from our Fiscal Affairs Department that visited the Dominican Republic in early December to conduct an in-depth analysis of the tax system. This is what we call a technical assistance mission and not involved in the negotiations on the program. The DR signed a Stand By Arrangement with the IMF on 9 November 2009 that would expire 8 March 2012. The agreement allowed for RD$1,094.50 (approx US$1671.77) of which RD$766.15 (approx US$1170.24) have been drawn.

Yesterday the Chamber of Deputies passed the 2010-2030 National Development Strategy bill that calls for an integral taxation reform, and incorporates other agreements on education and energy matters.

www.imf.org/external/np/tr/2012/tr011212.htm

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