Government corruption goes from “bottles” to “jugs”

SANTO DOMINGO.- More than 80% of the vice ministers in the 20 Dominican Government departments are popularly called “bottles” (botellas) who don’t have any function, but given their high salaries as high as RD$80,000 every month, have now been dubbed “jugs” (botellones).

According to newspaper Diario Libre, the statutory laws of the government ministries limits the number of vice ministers to a total of 36, but their Web sites list 154 in those posts, and is probably higher since several agencies don’t eve list some of those “officials” on their payrolls.

The Sports Ministry shows only 19 vice ministers of its total 28; the Youth Ministry shows only four of 22

Public Administration (MAP) Minister Ramon Ventura said they are currently applying Resolution 07-2012 with stipulates no more than six vice ministries per department and have a deadline until June to cut their “jugs” out of their payrolls.

"Those vice ministers many times don’t even occupy a space, didn’t have a desk so how can you locate 41 vice ministers? I think there are cases in which the minister doesn’t even know them," he said.