Day: May 21, 2026

DIGEPRES trains students in Azua on transparency and use of public resources with Budget in the Classrooms

Students from the Los Toros Polytechnic Institute learned about the impact of the General State Budget on their daily lives and explored citizen oversight tools. Los Toros, Azua – With the goal of bringing the workings of the State closer to new generations and fostering a culture of transparency, the General Directorate of Budget (DIGEPRES) brought its “Budget in the Classroom” program to the Los Toros Polytechnic Educational Center, located in the Los Toros Municipal District, Azua province. The activity included the participation of Robert Lara Segura, director of the polytechnic; Alba Iris Rodríguez De La Paz, pedagogical coordinator; and Eladio Marte, mayor, who accompanied the educational community throughout the event. The educational session was led by Rafael Jovine, director of Economic Studies and Financial Monitoring, who delivered the keynote address, “Understanding and Participating in the General State Budget.” During her presentation, Jovine explained to the students what the General State Budget (PGE) is, how decisions are made regarding the use of public funds, and why it directly impacts their daily lives. The practical and technological component of the activity was led by Airon Fernández, a specialist in Economic Studies and Financial Monitoring, who guided students and teachers on a virtual tour of the institutional portal Digepres.gob.do. Through this demonstration, Fernández showed how to navigate the platform effectively and explore the information resources available for public consultation. Similarly, analyst Yeimi Brown presented the Weekly Budget Execution Report in an engaging way. This essential tool, published every Tuesday on the portal, allows citizens to understand, monitor, and oversee the allocation of public resources in real time. For his part, Melvin Rodríguez, Coordinator of Standards and Methodologies, focused his presentation on explaining the budget according to the criteria of the budget classification systems, with a special emphasis on the management of local governments. During this session, the results of the Los Toros Municipal District Board in the Ranking of Indicators of the Municipal Public Administration Monitoring System (SISMAP Municipal) were presented, highlighting the local progress in institutional management. A practical exercise was also conducted to identify the public investment projects planned for the province of Azua, allowing attendees to visualize the specific works and initiatives destined for their community. With the premise that "Understanding the budget is exercising your Right to Know," the visit to the Los Toros Polytechnic reaffirmed the commitment to empowering youth as active monitors of national development. About Budget in the Classroom: This is an educational program of the General Directorate of Budget (DIGEPRES) aimed at secondary and university students. Through a dynamic and participatory format, this initiative seeks to develop a critical understanding of the use of public resources and their impact on society. It is part of the sustained efforts of the Government of the Dominican Republic, through the General Directorate of Budget (DIGEPRES), to consolidate its international leadership in fiscal transparency and accountability. According to the results of the 2025 Open Budget Survey (OBS), presented by the International Budget Partnership (IBP), the country achieved a record score of 82 out of 100 in the transparency pillar, solidifying its position as a leader in Central America and the Caribbean. Likewise, in the public participation pillar, the Dominican Republic made significant progress, surpassing the average of previous assessments and reaffirming the effectiveness of its programs for direct contact with citizens and its social openness tools.