The government announced an investment of RD$2.5 billion in the so-called modernization of the state university, UASD. Shortly after taking office, the Ministry of Public Works announced the controversial refurbishment of the newly inaugurated UASD library, with works which included replacing the ceramic floors with marble. Now, the government announces that a nine-story building with underground parking is going to be built to lodge the university’s administrative and deanship offices. A mess hall, laboratory and other works are also planned. The works have been entrusted to Felix Bautista, Public Works Supervisor of the Presidency and are due in the first quarter of 2006. At the end of the previous government, Bautista was prosecuted for his involvement in the construction of the San Juan de la Maguana highway. This mega-project was not put to tender, and the work has already been allotted to a company called Dicosisa.
In an editorial today, El Caribe newspaper calls for more transparency in government. The newspaper is critical of the decision to award the work without a tender, pointing out that this method of assigning public works does not guarantee transparency in government, nor the quality of the construction, and much less the efficiency of the investment. On the contrary, it often leads to overvaluation by several million pesos. The newspaper says that the allotment of this public work comes at a surprise because the Executive Branch recently formed an Ethics Commission that has among its priorities the preparation of a decree that would regulate the concessions and the purchases to be made by the state so that these are carried out following tenders. “Nevertheless, the government continues to allocate public works without tenders. This method fosters corruption and leaves as mere rhetoric any intention and speeches about combating this evil in society. It pours one of the public’s main demands down the drain,” writes the editorialist.
“We Dominicans have had to squeeze our pockets to provide the government with the funds it needs. It is not exaggerating when a demand is made for transparency and efficiency,” writes the newspaper.
El Caribe goes on to point out that other works started by the government without tenders are the overpasses at Los Alcarrizos (RD$446 million to Ingenieria Metalica, S.A.), the Las Americas expressway 3.7 kilometer link into Santo Domingo (RD$700 million to Ozoria y Asociados), the reconstruction of Jacobo Majluta Avenue (RD$700 million to Eng. Pedro Delgado Malagon), the pedestrian overpass at Maximo Gomez and JF Kennedy Avenues (RD$30 million to Edifica,S.A.), and the new driver’s license procedure to DeKolor.