Santo Domingo.- The COVID-19 crisis will cost the Dominican Republic in 2021 at least 64.4 billion pesos (US$1.1 billion), an amount that exceeds the budgets of a whole year of ministries such as Defense or Public Works.
As detailed in a letter by President Luis Abinader to Congress with which he presents a supplementary budget bill for 2021, almost half of that amount will be to cover the purchase of vaccines against coronavirus, although the expenses in subsidies for stop the price crisis generated by the pandemic.
Abinader tells Congress that there is a “favorable revision in the domestic macroeconomic perspective” that “has allowed the income projection to be adjusted upwards” for this year. However, more expenses are also estimated due to the pressures generated by the pandemic, both of health and economic origin.”