Amid sweeping government austerity measures across the Dominican Republic, the president of the nation’s Court of Auditors has moved to quash persistent public speculation about unauthorized salary increases for the court’s leadership, formally notifying the country’s top legislative body that the institution has rolled back an earlier controversial resolution.
Emma Polanco, head of the Court of Auditors, delivered the official update in a formal correspondence addressed to Ricardo de los Santos, president of the Dominican Senate. In her letter, Polanco pushed back against widespread public claims that the court’s plenary body had approved a pay hike for its senior governing members, framing the allegations as the product of a widespread misunderstanding. She emphasized that the current compensation for the court’s board members remains identical to the pay structure established by previous administrations, and added that the institution has submitted full payroll documentation spanning both recent and earlier years to back up this clarification.
Contrary to rumors of excessive compensation for leadership, Polanco outlined that the court has directed its available resources toward lifting up rank-and-file employees rather than enriching its top leaders. Key improvements rolled out for staff include targeted salary adjustments, expanded healthcare benefits, subsidized transportation access, professional development and training programs, and the launch of an on-site staff cafeteria.
Beyond addressing the pay raise controversy, Polanco also underscored the court’s recent commitment to fulfilling its core oversight mandate amid the country’s fiscal restraint. She noted that the plenary has advanced dozens of active audits and public accountability investigations, formally approved 84 final audit reports, and rolled out a range of additional oversight initiatives all designed to reinforce governmental transparency and crack down on misuse of public funds.