The Ministries of the Dominican Republic (Spanish: Ministerios de la República Dominicana) are the primary units of the executive branch of the government of the Dominican Republic. These offices were formerly known as Secretaries of State (Spanish: Secretarias de Estado), but that denominations changed on 2010, with the Constitutional reform. The change was effective on February 6, 2010, by Decree no. 55–10.[1]
The history of these offices can be traced to the first Constitution of the Dominican Republic, signed at San Cristóbal, on November 6, 1844. The first four institutions, known as Secretaries of State, were: Justice and Public Instruction; the Interior and Police; Finance and Commerce; and War and Navy.[2] As of February, 2023, the Dominican Republic has a total of 24 Ministries, including the General Attorney's Office.
Ministries are analogous to Departments and Secretaries of State in others nations.
See main article: Cabinet of the Dominican Republic.
The heads of the ministries, known as Ministers of their respective department, form the traditional Cabinet of the Dominican Republic, an executive organ that serves at the disposal of the president for the coordination of the government affairs and normally act as an advisory body to the presidency.
Out of the 24 Ministries, only 3 are women, as of February 2023.
As of February, 2023, the Dominican Republic has a total of 24 Ministries, the latest being the Ministry of Housing and Constructions, established on 2021. Below, a table listing all Ministries, the year they were created and their initial name.
| Office | Created on | Budget (2021)[3] in RD$ | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Office of the Attorney General of the RepublicProcuraduría General de la República | 1844 | 10,566,729,557.74 | |
| Ministry of the PresidencyMinisterio de la Presidencia | 1927 | 27,330,805,616.30 | |
| Administrative Ministry of the PresidencyMinisterio Administrativo de la Presidencia | 2012 | 14,690,695,735.40 | |
| Ministry of Public AdministrationMinisterio de Administración Pública | 2008 | 916,023,908.28 | |
| Ministry of External RelationsMinisterio de Relaciones Exteriores | 1874 | 8,261,136,983.55 | |
| Ministry of DefenseMinisterio de Defensa | 1844 | 34,903,848,896.17 | |
| Ministry of the Interior and PoliceMinisterio de Interior y Policía | 1844 | 50,169,229,527.51 | |
| Ministry of FinanceMinisterio de Hacienda | 1844 | 20,222,491,904.92 | |
| Ministry of AgricultureMinisterio de Agricultura | 1854 | 16,918,221,101.88 | |
| Ministry of Industry, Trade and MSMEsMinisterio de Industria, Comercio y Mipymes | 1966 | 17,938,366,655.89 | |
| Ministry of Energy and MinesMinisterio de Energía y Minas | 2013 | 1,524,638,866.40 | |
| Ministry of TourismMinisterio de Turismo | 1979[4] | 3,940,210,676.42 | |
| Ministry of Economy, Planning and DevelopmentMinisterio de Economía, Planificación y Desarrollo | 2006[5] | 2,438,494,144.12 | |
| Ministry of LaborMinisterio de Trabajo | 1930[6] | 1,874,075,576-52 | |
| Ministry of Public Works and CommunicationsMinisterio de Obras Públicas y Comunicaciones | 1887[7] | 45,743,372,024.07 | |
| Ministry of Housing and ConstructionsMinisterio de Vivienda y Edificaciones | 2021 | NA | |
| Ministry of Environment and Natural ResourcesMinisterio de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales | 2000 | 12,237,611,021.36 | |
| Ministry of Public Health and Social AssistanceMinisterio de Salud Pública y Asistencia Social | 1924[8] | 145,792,041,708.08 | |
| Ministry of EducationMinisterio de Educación | 1934[9] | 186,774,494,864.96 | |
| Ministry of CultureMinisterio de Cultura | 2000 | 2,797,080,497.09 | |
| Ministry of Higher Education, Science and TechnologyMinisterio de Educación Superior, Ciencia y Tecnología | 2001 | 16,876,109,465.18 | |
| Ministry of WomenMinisterio de la Mujer | 1999 | 1,050,462,822.83 | |
| Ministry of YouthMinisterio de la Juventud | 2000 | 626,848,908.53 | |
| Ministry of Sports and RecreationMinisterio de Deporte y Recreación | 1974 | 3,041,611,938.46 |