Danilo proclaims the start of the "welfare state" based on education, health and 911 service
He argues for a Latin American vision and for governmental transparency
Diario Libre
HEREDIA, COSTA RICA. President Danilo Medina said yesterday that the setting aside 4% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for education, the start of the National System of Attention to Emergencies and Security 911, and the incorporation each year of hundreds of thousands of persons into Family Health Insurance, are the beginnings of a Welfare State in the Dominican Republic, and are the basis of equal opportunity for everyone.
"In addition, we have eliminated the co-payments for attending the poor free of charge in the public hospitals," he added in his speech to the III Summit of Chiefs of State and of Government of the community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), which is being held on the 28th and 29th in Costa Rica.
"To wait for wealth to "overflow" is not sufficient. We know that it is an imperative to take quality public services to all strata of society, to give them education, health and protection, in order to guarantee a basis of equal opportunity and social justice," he said.
Corruption undermines efficiency
In his message to the CELAC membership, Medina said that corruption and poor practices daily undermine the efficiency and the trust of the citizens in their governments and make the possibilities of building the necessary alliances between the state and society in order to construct inclusive development models that democratize prosperity.
"This trust in public institutionalism is the indispensable basis in order to achieve our goals, but it will only be possible, if we open the doors to public inspection," he pointed out.
The President said that transparency and accountability are not stumbling blocks for government leaders, but that, to the contrary, they are the guarantee of good government and, therefore, "an important tool for our work."
The Dominican leader suggested to the other Chiefs of State, to take the first step to renew the hope of "our people, and so that our societies, in all of the region, can strengthen their faith in the institutions," so that they can count on his firm decision to go down this road.
He said he felt that since he is convinced that there is no other forum which meets the common interests and values of our peoples, as the CELAC, he offered the Dominican Republic as the headquarters for the Pro tem President of the organization in 2016, because he is convinced that from there the country can continue contributing to the integration of Latin America and the Caribbean.
Common Latin American vision
Medina called on his Latin American and Caribbean counterparts to establish some common priorities, that will permit them to provide answers to problems that by their very nature transcend national barriers, and that at the same time give our region its own identity.
"We need a common Latin American vision. A vision regarding how to face the challenges of this 21st century and how to make the interests of our peoples go forward," he emphasized. He suggested that it is not enough that the economy grows, if the benefits of the prosperity do not translate into greater equality and a better quality of life for all of the citizens.
"In addition, we have eliminated the co-payments for attending the poor free of charge in the public hospitals," he added in his speech to the III Summit of Chiefs of State and of Government of the community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), which is being held on the 28th and 29th in Costa Rica.
"To wait for wealth to "overflow" is not sufficient. We know that it is an imperative to take quality public services to all strata of society, to give them education, health and protection, in order to guarantee a basis of equal opportunity and social justice," he said.
Corruption undermines efficiency
In his message to the CELAC membership, Medina said that corruption and poor practices daily undermine the efficiency and the trust of the citizens in their governments and make the possibilities of building the necessary alliances between the state and society in order to construct inclusive development models that democratize prosperity.
"This trust in public institutionalism is the indispensable basis in order to achieve our goals, but it will only be possible, if we open the doors to public inspection," he pointed out.
The President said that transparency and accountability are not stumbling blocks for government leaders, but that, to the contrary, they are the guarantee of good government and, therefore, "an important tool for our work."
The Dominican leader suggested to the other Chiefs of State, to take the first step to renew the hope of "our people, and so that our societies, in all of the region, can strengthen their faith in the institutions," so that they can count on his firm decision to go down this road.
He said he felt that since he is convinced that there is no other forum which meets the common interests and values of our peoples, as the CELAC, he offered the Dominican Republic as the headquarters for the Pro tem President of the organization in 2016, because he is convinced that from there the country can continue contributing to the integration of Latin America and the Caribbean.
Common Latin American vision
Medina called on his Latin American and Caribbean counterparts to establish some common priorities, that will permit them to provide answers to problems that by their very nature transcend national barriers, and that at the same time give our region its own identity.
"We need a common Latin American vision. A vision regarding how to face the challenges of this 21st century and how to make the interests of our peoples go forward," he emphasized. He suggested that it is not enough that the economy grows, if the benefits of the prosperity do not translate into greater equality and a better quality of life for all of the citizens.
Diario Libre
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