Government aims to raise life expectancy to 77 as part of 2028 goals

Santo Domingo.- President Luis Abinader presided over the 46th Council of Ministers meeting on Tuesday, where the government outlined ten key goals to prioritize for 2028, along with a new monitoring and follow-up mechanism. The Minister of the Presidency, José Ignacio Paliza, alongside other officials, emphasized that the meeting marked the launch of a structured approach to track the government’s progress toward achieving these goals. The monitoring system will involve the creation of Compliance Units, similar to the one used in the UK, to ensure efficient reporting and decision-making.

The government’s goals for 2028 include improving the health system to raise the average life expectancy to 77 years, implementing a citizen security policy that reduces the homicide rate, and addressing the housing deficit. Economic goals include increasing the middle class from 40.3% to 50% of the population, reducing poverty to 15%, achieving a GDP per capita of $15,000, and expanding exports and foreign direct investment. The government also aims to boost tourism to 14 million visitors, raise formal employment rates to 50%, reduce unemployment below 5%, and enhance the quality of education by doubling the number of university graduates in STEM fields.

Further objectives include increasing water investment to improve household supply, eliminating hunger and dirt floors in homes, and reducing traffic-related deaths to under 20 per 100,000 inhabitants. The government plans to implement a system for coordinating efforts across presidential cabinets and expand monitoring systems like SISMAP to ensure the quality of public services. Additionally, the Dominican Republic is partnering with the OECD to enhance transparency and governance, focusing on developing a National Integrity and Anti-Corruption Strategy in line with international standards.