The decision of President Leonel Fernandez to delay the sale of the state-owned airline, its paint company, and its pulp and paper manufacturing plants has put the future of the Public Enterprise Reform Commission (CREP) in doubt. Fernandez froze the privatization of the three bankrupt businesses until after the Mejia government comes to power on August 16.The law that created CREP requires that the president can discontinue the privatization of state-owned companies if congressional approval is first sought for some other sort of disposition. Mejia has not expressed his views regarding the sale of Pinturas Dominicanas, the paint company, or Induspapel, the pulp and paper factory, but requested that Fernandez halt the sale of CDA, the state airline.The head of CREP, Antonio Isa Conde, has announced that the time between now and August 16 will be devoted to the creation of recommendations for next steps in privatization, financial aspects of last year’s sale of state sugar mills, and other internal matters.
