Dominican lawmakers set to retire with lucrative pensions

Santo Domingo.- A wave of retirements is coming to the Dominican Congress, and with it, a significant financial payout for many departing lawmakers. Under the country’s pension system for elected officials, these individuals can receive monthly pensions as high as RD$200,000, depending on their years of service.

The pension fund for congress members is financed through a combination of mandatory deductions from lawmakers’ salaries and a percentage of the legislative budget. This system has been in place since 1998, with subsequent modifications.

While the public debate around such generous pensions often centers on the cost to taxpayers, defenders of the system argue that it is a form of deferred compensation for public service. Critics, however, contend that the benefits are excessive, especially considering the relatively short terms of office for many lawmakers.

As dozens of legislators prepare to leave office, the total cost of these pensions to the government is expected to rise. This has renewed calls for a review of the pension system and potential reforms to make it more sustainable and equitable.

According to Diario Libre, others are leaving Congress but will receive less money. According to the regulations, those who complete a legislative work period of three periods will receive 60% of their salaries, those who have two will have 50%, and those who only accumulate one period will have pensions equivalent to between 35 and 55% of their salaries, depending on the age at which they entered Congress.

In that sense, the group of at least 43 legislators who are retiring and who are 60 years of age or older includes Ysabel Jacqueline Ortiz, Elpidio Báez, Rudy María Méndez, Dionisio de la Rosa, Darío Zapata, Juan Alberto Aquino, Santiago Vilorio, Juan Suazo, Esteban Cruz, Eduardo Hidalgo, Jesús Alberti, Francisco Solimán, María Mercedes Fernández and Gertrude Ramírez.