The Public Procurement Agency (DGCP) issued a resolution suspending the Ministry of Education’s contracting with different publishers to purchase digital books for the high school level in the 2022-2023 year. The orders were for more than RD$2.5 billion. The DGCP responded to a complaint placed by Editorial Actualidad Escolar 2000, SRL against the awarding of the contracts.
The resolution order is a temporary measure until a response is given to the appeal filed by Editorial Actualidad Escolar 2000, SRL against the awarding, subscription and execution of the contracts corresponding to lots No. 1,2,3 and 7 of the procedure of Exception by Exclusivity No. MINERD-CCC-PEEX-2C22-0003.
Editorial Actualidad Escolar 2000 disputes the awarding of the contracts to Cocolo Editorial EIRL, Editorial Cosme Peña, CA-Mart Soluciones and Ediciones Salomé.
Actualidad Escolar says that it won an a lot but found out after the abovementioned publishers had already signed contracts for a higher value than theirs, violating the bidding conditions contemplated in Procurement Law 340-06. The company says it submitted bids lower than the winning bids. The company suspects the delay in the publication of the award certificate was intended to limit the exercise of the right to appeal administrative decisions.
The Public Procurement Agency says it requested a response from the Ministry of Education and the beneficiary companies to the accusations made by Actualidad Escolar but so far only received a response from Cocolo Editorial that was rejected as “inappropriate and lacking legal grounds.”
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Noticias SIN
Diario Libre
14 July 2022