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The activity resulting from a Collaboration agreement for the governance and social control of the public budget at the local level, signed between DIGEPRES and Fundación Solidaridad
Barahona. – With the purpose of contributing to the strengthening of the knowledge and capacities of local governments and civil society in relation to citizen participation in the public budget, the General Directorate of Budget (Digepres) and the Solidarity Foundation conducted the workshop “Territorial dialogue on the 2024 budget formulation and the strengthening of citizen participation in the budget cycle.”
The seminar is part of the activities included in the framework agreement for collaboration on governance and social control of the general state budget at the local level, signed between DIGEPRES and Fundación Solidaridad this year. 
The seminar's opening ceremony was presided over by José Rijo Presbot, Director General of the Budget; Míctor Emilio Fernández, Mayor of Barahona; Genara González Marmolejos, Governor of the Province of Barahona; Ángel Fernández, Director of the Dominican Municipal League; Juan Castillo, Executive Director of the Solidarity Foundation; and Oneida Feliz, Head of the Regional Office of the Dominican Federation of Municipalities. (Fedomu) and Leomary Liriano García, head of the Articulation and Planning department of the Vice Ministry of the Ministry of Economy, Planning and Development (MEPyD), entities that sponsored the event.
The welcoming remarks were delivered by Míctor Emilio Fernández, mayor of Barahona, who explained President Luis Abinader's interest in training officials from state institutions to strengthen transparency and performance in their duties. “Acting with transparency requires knowing what tools allow us to manage efficiently "of public resources to guarantee the general welfare of the community," Fernández said.
For his part, José Rijo Presbot, Budget Director, indicated that, with the strategic alliance with the Solidarity Foundation, and the support of the Dominican Municipal League (LMD), the Dominican Federation of Municipalities (Fedomu) and the Dominican Federation of Municipal Districts (FedodimThis and other meetings were made possible to contribute to the citizen participatory budget.
“Upon our arrival at the Budget Office, we formed an alliance with the Ministry of Economy, Planning and Development to unify plans and budgets, because what isn't budgeted doesn't exist. Now we are responding, defining priorities to be closer to the people.” Rijo Presbot stated. He also said that promoting development and respect for institutions is a priority for the government.
He also indicated that one of the needs identified was the strengthening of local governments, while emphasizing that citizens should be aware of the work of public institutions because it is both a duty and a right.
Ángel Mercedes, executive director of the Dominican Municipal League, expressed that institutionalization contributes to a better country, and therefore valued the actions of Digepres to strengthen government entities in budgetary matters, while Juan Castillo, of the Solidarity Foundation, understood it as a priority to democratize the budget in the territory and involve civil society in the process.
The seminar featured presentations by specialists in the field, including Rafael Jovine, Director of Economic Studies and Financial Monitoring; Norvin Bergés and Alberto Villanueva, Sector Coordinator for Local Government Budgets; and Leomary Liriano García, Head of the Planning Coordination Department at the Ministry of Economy, Planning and Development (MEPyD). Topics covered in the training session included transparency, citizenship and social oversight, the presentation of the Single Registry of Territorial Citizen Demands (RUDCT), and the new Programmatic Structure for local governments.
The activity also had the support of the Catholic Technological University of Barahona (UCATEBA), chaired by Reverend Marco Antonio Pérez, and was directed to representatives of the development councils of 22 local governments of Barahona, the Southwest Regional Planning Office and representatives of civil society.
Territorial meetings
This activity adds to the 5 meetings held in different provinces of the country as part of the collaboration agreement for the Governance and Social Control of the General Budget, with the support of entities in the municipal and social sphere.
At the close of the event, a panel discussion was held entitled “Participation of municipal development councils in strategic and budgetary planning processes” led by Oneida Féliz, FEDOMU and Horacio Medrano, from MEPyD.
