Government raises optimal diesel RD$ 12 pesos and premium gasoline RD$ 5

Santo Domingo — The Ministry of Industry, Commerce and MSMEs (MICM) reported that the price of a gallon of Premium gasoline increased by five pesos due to “the pressures resulting from the increases in this fuel in the international market.”

In a press release, the institution said that for the week of October 10 to 16, Premium gasoline will be sold at RD$358.10 per gallon; similarly, the gallon of optimal diesel was also increased by 12 pesos to RD$318.10.

Through the official document, it was indicated that the prices per gallon of regular gasoline (RD$317.50), Liquefied Petroleum Gas (RD$135.20), and regular diesel (RD$270.80) will remain unchanged, noting that the Government allocated RD$1,525.4 million in subsidies to keep the so-called “essential fuels” frozen.

“Currently, due to a drop in production at the main refineries from which the Dominican Republic is supplied, the prices of refined products, mainly optimal diesel, have remained extremely high in international markets. At this time, the cost of refining does not correspond to the price of a barrel of crude oil,” reads the statement sent from the MICM.

The document sent to the media reviews statements by the Minister of Finance and Economy, Magín Díaz, explaining that the situation with fuel subsidies represents a complex financial challenge for the State since “originally, some RD$10 billion had been budgeted for this purpose for the entire year, but due to the international crisis and high volatility, more than RD$38 billion has already been consumed, with projections to reach up to RD$50 billion if the trend continues.”

“With the subsidy intended so that the population does not receive the full impact of the increases, the accumulated amount is close to RD$38,200 million so far in 2026,” says the press document sent to this newspaper.