Dominican Republic faces fuel price lag and high traffic‑accident costs, sparking cost‑of‑living debate

Fuerza del Pueblo (FP) officials highlighted two cost‑of‑living issues in the Dominican Republic. FP member and commerce secretary José Peña Santana said the recent decline in international oil prices has barely lowered domestic fuel prices, noting that while U.S. gasoline fell about 68 cents per gallon (over RD$40), Dominican reductions have been only RD$2‑3 per gallon. He warned that the limited pass‑through harms transport, production and consumer prices.

FP deputy Tobías Crespo warned that the country spends more on treating traffic‑accident victims than on education. He cited annual insurance payouts of roughly RD$16.96 billion and total accident‑related costs of RD$62.84 billion, averaging RD$46 million a day, and highlighted that 8‑9 people die daily in road crashes. Crespo called the accident toll a “pandemic” and urged greater investment in education and prevention to reduce these burdens.

Both officials framed the issues as evidence of the government’s failure to alleviate the population’s rising living costs and as a political challenge to the ruling PRM administration.