BM: it is vital to reduce inequality

Roby Senderowitsch, highlights the sustained growth of the Dominican economy at a time when the rest of the countries of the Caribbean does not grow, while suggesting to seek ways to raise the quality of education and health.

What is your perception of the economy?
Always there is good news on Dominican Republic. We are witnessing a crisis and RD has proven to be quite resistant. Growth continues happening.

In recent years there have been positive and compared with the Caribbean growth, it is almost a miracle, because the rest of the countries of the Caribbean do not grow. These are the good news. But where you would like to see better?-the distribution in terms of improving equity and the issue of poverty.

RD is growing, then why not that growth can return to make it inclusive, but is not easy to answer.

Refers to changing the model, what does?
One finds that u000avarious sectors of society, including the media, they say that we must change the model and that is easy to sell, but nobody can really explain really.

Because the free market model which has RD is giving results, the first thing that should yield results in low investment in human capital, in education, health and accompanying all that issues of governance, transparency and corruption.

If you could have increased investment, better results in education, to investment in public health to give best results.

What are the indicators in public health?
The number of women dying in childbirth is alarming. 98% Of deliveries is institutional, i.e. 98 per cent of women giving birth in a health center, however, die 149 per 100,000 deliveries. And that in a country such as this are some 300 women per year who die giving birth. Then, we have to improve the quality of that u000aspending that is underway, because hospitals are functioning.

In education there was an interest of 4%, what do think of the topic? Rarely there is an interesting social mobilization around a theme. There is nobody in the Dr that is in disagreement with that must invest more in education. I would agree that the Government send an addendum to the budget on the 4%.

That has to decide on the Government. What I can say on the basis of international experience, is that if there is more investment in education is difficult to obtain expect better results. At the end of the day is not important if it is 4%, if it is 3% or 7%, what you want is the educational performance. And show the RD doesn't perform well in education, that investment is targeted, with better teacher training, good infrastructure, good curricula and methodological proposal and an alignment between the private sector and the educational system and the role of u000aschool teachers, have to be hierarchized for the development of the country.

What to do to improve the inequality in the social aspect?
They are doing interesting things. The clearest example that has RD is the solidarity program, which is a conditional transfer program. Seeking to break the intergenerational transmission of poverty.

Bet is to ensure that children do not end so poor as parents should invest in human capital. The criticism is that the proportion is low and out of the budget.

Coverage is very broad. One can say that the subsidy is low, but there have to be careful because if high turns in a disincentive to work.

How much assistance from the World Bank?
Have a strong to the Social Cabinet, non-reimbursable assistance for education and health. We have investment projects, which has to do with the records of birth, which supported the statements u000alate.

As of the Census of the unique system of beneficiaries (Siuben) is being funded by us. Another very important is performance and accountability for the social sectors (PASS).

What do think of competitiveness in the Dr?
Beyond an indicator, should aspire to be at number 60 and then down to 40 in the index of competitiveness.

Investments in education and the logistic part are the important issues and take advantage of being close to the largest market in the world.

What are the issues of poverty?
Are those of the Ministry of economy. 31.6% is moderate poverty and dire poverty 8.8%. I.e., in eleven years of growth not managed to reduce poverty, increase. During the crisis of 2003 reached 40%, but if becomes the longer trend, is still high.

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Projects approved SUMAN MÁS DE 50
long trajectory
the World Bank has a long u000ahistory in the Dr, starting in 1969, with more than 50 projects approved and that they amounted to US$ 2,000 million.

For the current Alliance (strategic alliance with RD 2010-2013), the portfolio of projects funded by the World Bank is composed of nine active projects equivalent to $308.9 million, 16 active grants for a total of $4 million, and 14 assists techniques non reimbursable (NLTA).

9 Investment projects: health reform PARSS2 $30.5 MM, protection Social 19.4 MM, fund additional A protection Social 10 MM, 25 MM youth development, rehabilitation, distribution networks, electricity $42 MM, recovery of emergency and disaster management 80 MM, water and sanitation 27.5 MM, 20 MM Municipal Development, and technical assistance to the Financial Sector 12.5 mm.

Budget support: DPL - PASS series (van two 150 mm each and one of 70 million), public finance and social sectors of 150 mm. one

Assists technique not u000aReimbursable implementation: Energy Sector (NLTA); Adaptation to climate change and disaster management (NLTA); Economic memorandum of Hispaniola, support to the END, Treasury services, competitiveness, project to improve access to the vulnerable communities information and extreme poverty, gender equity certification in competitiveness, Social cohesion, quality of public spending, strengthening Civil society, institutional analysis and governance, IPAC, and the background of institutional development to strengthen the supervisory role of the Congress.

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