NewsWhore
11-25-2008, 02:10 PM
Hacienda Minister Vicente Bengoa has reaffirmed the government's stance that new taxes or increases in taxes would be counterproductive during the present global economic slowdown. Bengoa was reacting to rumors that the government has been discussing a "fiscal adjustment" with the IMF. Bengoa has also spoken of a significant reduction in sub-sectorial subsidies. The minister is quoted in Hoy as stating "categorically speaking the government will not introduce new taxes or modify the current tax structure, because doing so would deepen the economic recession expected for 2009." Presidency Minister Cesar Pina Toribio, speaking from his offices at the Presidential Palace, reiterated that during last week's 2009 budget discussion by the cabinet and economic team they did not even discuss the possibility of new taxes. Rumors that the government is considering new taxes have been circulating since a recent IMF visit to the DR. Constant talk of "reforms," which in the DR has become the code word for taxation, sounded alarms across the public and private sectors. Regardless, the general consensus has been that if there needs to be a reform the government should initially consider cutting its own costs before it increases taxes.
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More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#2)