Top official chief says Dominicans aren’t that poor anymore

Santo Domingo.- Economy Minister Isidoro Santana on Tues. said poverty has been reduced in the Dominican Republic through increased income and other factors such as access to water, health, education and quality of life.

He affirms that the country has a policy to deal with poverty.

The official said the Dominican economy’s performance should lead to lowering poverty,

“The numbers indicate that poverty has fallen in the Dominican Republic and much of public spending, social policy and public works are oriented in that regard,” Santana said, quoted by listin.com.do.

He said the government has increased wages above inflation in the last two years, but notes that “there’s still much to be resolved on the topic of the middle class.”

The Dominican Republic is considered on of the countries with a highly vulnerable middle class, because any crisis factor easily pushes it to poverty, due to low quality employment, informality and social protection. In addition to that the country is on the route of major natural disasters such as hurricanes and earthquakes.