According to Fitch, the Dominican Republic can finance its aggressive fuel and food subsidies without putting the country’s credit rating at risk due to a strong economic recovery. The nation, which imports all of its fuel, will have a fiscal deficit of 3% of GDP this year, up from a previous forecast of 2.5%. Annual inflation hit 9.5% in May, the country’s highest rate since 2008. While an increasingly heavy burden, the cost of subsidies is mitigated by one of the world’s fastest economic expansions this year.