In an interview, the head of the Dominican Republic's Pensions Superintendency outlined how the pension system operates and described it as financially sound, reporting accumulated assets of DOP 1.6 trillion, equivalent to nearly 20% of gross domestic product. The authority receives daily information on transactions by pension fund administrators and supervises their investment portfolios, regulatory compliance and services to members. Formal workers are enrolled by their employers when they first enter formal employment, while informal workers can open independent accounts through complementary pension plans offered by pension fund administrators. Members may choose among seven administrators within the first 30 days of their first job and may subsequently switch once a year, with comparative performance information available from the superintendency.