The Central Bank of the Dominican Republic held the awards ceremony for the 12th edition of its Economists of the Future competition, an annual team-based contest for final-year secondary students supported by a teacher. The initiative forms part of the central bank’s Aula Central economic and financial education programme, with this year’s submissions focused on how financial inclusion is defined, measured and achieved, and why it matters. Across 12 editions, the competition has involved 1,305 students from 435 public and private schools nationwide. In the latest call, the jury selected 14 finalists from 47 entries, awarding first place to Jaime Molina Mota school, second to Comunidad Educativa Lux Mundi and third to José Núñez de Cáceres polytechnic, with student prizes including laptops and tablets and teacher awards of DOP 50,000, DOP 45,000 and DOP 40,000 respectively. The governor also linked the education agenda to recent findings from the National Survey of Financial Inclusion and Education 2024, including a decline in receiving payments in cash from 65.5% in 2019 to 55.9% in 2023 alongside greater adoption of digital payment methods.
Central Bank of the Dominican Republic 2025-03-30
Central Bank of the Dominican Republic awards winners of its 12th Economists of the Future academic competition
The Central Bank of the Dominican Republic hosted the 12th Economists of the Future competition, part of its Aula Central education programme, focusing on financial inclusion. The event involved 1,305 students from 435 schools, with Jaime Molina Mota school winning first place. The governor highlighted a shift towards digital payments, as shown by the National Survey of Financial Inclusion and Education 2024.