The Ministry of Industry & Commerce (MICM) was ordered by court to provide Jefte Ventura, a representative from the online platform Hablando de Vehículos, with the results of a study on fuel quality monitoring in the country. This study contained over 5,000 pages of information on inspections of 965 fuel stations, petrol ship cargos, and fuel distribution sites conducted by the company Alvepet from December 2022 to August 2023.
The public release of this study followed a legal battle between Ventura and the MICM, which had previously refused to provide the information. However the Ministry did so only after a Superior Administrative Court (TSA) ruled the MICM release the study.
The information in the study is now being analyzed, and the names of the fuel stations found to be in violation of regulations are likely to be made public.
The judge’s ruling compelled the MICM to release the comprehensive fuel quality study that it had previously withheld. Several media remarked that the court ruling is a significant victory for transparency and consumer protection in the Dominican Republic.
The media had pressed the issue with President Luis Abinader who during the Monday, 24 June 2024 press conference had ordered his cabinet ministers and directors to adhere to Press Information Law 200-04. The President agreed that a court order should not be needed for the government departments to release public information.
On Tuesday, the Abinader Administration would issue a memorandum to all government department directors reminding these of their responsibility to comply with the freedom of information law and that information be served without the need for a ruling from the Superior Administrative Court (TSA). The announcement of the memorandum was read by Minister of the Presidency Joel Santos Echavarria.
Jefte Ventura took the Ministry of Industry & Commerce to court and in fulfillment of court ruling No. 0030-1642-2024-SSEN-00277, the MICM would deliver the study carried out by Alvepet.
Ventura suffered damages to his vehicle and said he feared for his life during what he described as a kidnapping attempt against him.
Diario Libre executive editor Anibal de Castro urges the cabinet ministers to follow the example of President Luis Abinader who sits for questioning by journalists on Mondays.
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Ministry of Industry & Commerce
Freedom of Information Law 200-04
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1 July 2024