Poor country can’t pay to make officials rich, reformer says

Santo Domingo.- National Government Reform Council (CONARE) director Marcos Villamán yesterday said a poor country cannot make highly paid officials rich with salaries that people can’t afford.

"You cannot disrespect and insult the people by paying officials a salary way above what Dominican society can afford."

He said lawmakers should be cautious prior approval of the Civil Service Wage Regulation bill, because in his view there are officials who should be paid with fairness and flexibility, taking society into account. We’re in a poor country and they must be remunerated fairly, with dignity, but that means justice for both and for society as a whole," he said.

"I think that if there’s an exorbitant salary it’s disrespectful of the population, and if it exists I believe it should be corrected because it creates serious problems of governance which must be avoided."