El Caribe newspaper reports that the present government has committed RD$32,000 million of government funds to carry out public works, most contracted without a tender. State departments doing the contracting without tenders are primarily the Ministry of Public Works (Seopc), the Coordinating and Supervising Office of Public Works, the National Institute of Potable Water (Inapa), and the National Institute of Housing (Invi). In his speech of 27 February, President Mejia made the announcement that the government was investing RD$32,000 million in 1,100 projects. Engineers Amable Montás, Alejandro Montás and Roque Napoleón Muñoz visited the newspaper to express their support to the Institutionality and Justice Foundation effort that the government appoint a commission that would supervise tenders and public bids for government works. The commission would help separate political favors from the construction of public works, resulting in better public works and savings for government finances. They also urged that the government restore the bill to this end that had been sent to Congress by the previous government in 1999 and that was ignored by Congress at the time.
