Architect Eduardo Selman, who directs the Corporación Dominicana de Empresas Estatales, the state consortium of companies that are now being privatized, told El Siglo newspaper that 14 companies are interested in investing in Dominicana Airlines, the state airline. El Siglo newspaper reports that an audit by KPMG shows that the grounded airline has assets of RD$148 million and liabilities of RD$1,800 million. Most of the moneys are owed to the state bank, Banco de Reservas, but there are millionaire debts in dollars to foreign suppliers that must be consolidated and resolved prior to the privatization. The director of Corde did not name the companies that might participate in the tender to privatize 50% of Dominicana Airlines. One of the bigger problems regarding the privatization of the airline, is that Dominicana Airlines cannot fly to the US because the US Federal Aviation Agency lists the DR in Category III. The PLD government has closed several and privatized other state corporations that operated as welfare entities for party members and friends of the government in power. In addition to Dominicana Airlines, state companies still remaining to be privatized are the gypsum and marble companies and the national paper company (Induspapel). The Public Enterprise Commission (CREP) is in charge of the privatizing of state corporations.
