More than 280,000 devices purchased with the advisory services of the United Nations Development Program (UND) are still in a Ministry of Education (Minerd) warehouse. The computers were purchased when Roberto Furcal was minister of education (2020-2022). Diario Libre also reports that overall, 350,000 electronic devices purchased by the Minerd for remote learning during the Covid-19 pandemic were not distributed. The newspaper headlines that 68.83% of local purchases from suppliers are still in stock.
Diario Libre recalls that on 13 April 2021, the UNDP delivered 500,000 of 800,000 electronic devices to the Ministry of Education for distribution to students and teachers at public schools. As of 31 March 2023, in the Warehouse of the Digital Transformation Cabinet for Technological Equipment of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), of the Ministry of Education (Minerd) there were 281,417 laptops, netbooks and tablets, from the international tender held at the end of 2020 for the purchase of the 800,000 devices. The controversial purchase is documented as being worth RD$4.12 billion.
The Minerd warehouse inventory corresponding to the first quarter of 2023 establishes that the other components are made up of 19,721 headsets; 8,547 screen protectors for tablets; 9,694 pens for tablets; 2,400 access point (devices to establish a wireless connection between computers); 3,491 covers for tablets; 1,827 school servers with their monitors; 460 carts for charging and storing laptops; 16 touch screens and two 49-inch LED televisions.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, the Minerd invested between November 2020 and March 2021, some RD$19 billion to purchase of laptops, tablets and netbooks and other devices and accessories, for students and teachers, in two bidding processes, one with local suppliers and the other with the UNDP.
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Diario Libre
8 May 2023