Senators firm on salary cap; those who oppose can go to court

Santo Domingo.- Senator Julio Cesar Valentin urged the heads of the decentralized government agencies who oppose the law to create salary caps to challenged it in the Constitutional Court.

He said anyone who feels that some articles violate the Constitution, it is, then, the Constitutional Court’s jurisdiction to determine constitutionality.

"The legislature can do it all, except violate the Constitution and setting a wage ceiling has nothing unconstitutional, what in fact needs to be clearly stated in the law, although in principle, is that it would exempt those officials already confirmed and in full exercise under the law."

Meanwhile two ruling PLD party senators said the time is ripe to redefine roles within the government and the functions performed by qualified individuals within civil service.

"We have to start legal steps to qualify state institutions because a finance minister shouldn’t earn the same as Women’s or Youth minister, who don’t have the same functions, they are both ministers, but the functions are totally different," said Jose Rafael Vargas."

"I think it’s a chance we have of discussing everything, that there’s absolutely nothing hidden, that I can proudly say ‘I make so much, the same that any legislator in Latin America earns," added Gustavo Sanchez.

Thus far officials of the Central Bank and of the Internal Taxes Agency have voiced opposition to the salary caps.