Despite a recent uproar that led to the withdrawal of similar pay increases in San Cristobal, city councilors in Santiago have now voted for considerable increases for themselves. El Caribe reports that Mayor Enrique Sued's pay went up from RD$75,000 to RD$180,000 a month, while deputy mayor Petroushka Munoz' wages were increased to RD$108,000. City councilors increased their remuneration from RD$44,000 to RD$100,000 plus other benefits. Other city workers got 30% wage increases. This comes out of the municipality's budget increase that was intended for city improvements, not employee remunerations. Mayor Sued said that the increases meant that there would be RD$12 million less for capital investments and other direct benefits to the community. The city councilors also determined that the remuneration will now be a salary, and not a per diem as in the past. The director of the Santiago Chamber of Commerce, Ivan Reynoso, described the increases as "monstrous".

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