City councilor Alexander Germoso has accused the Santiago City Council of skipping the rules when approving financial transactions during a regular session on Tuesday, 22 October 2024, as reported in Noticias SIN.
Germoso, a member of the Opción Democrática party, denounced that the city council that is dominated by the Modern Revolutionary Party (PRM) and its allies, had approved a RD$100 million investment certificate without the necessary technical and feasibility assessments from the city’s financial manager or comptroller, nor the approval of the Municipal Monitoring Committee.
The councilor further asserted that the Santiago City Council had irregularly approved a financing agreement with the National Council for the Promotion and Support of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (Promipyme). This agreement, he claimed, would provide loans of up to RD$1.5 million to local businesses without proper documentation or review by the council’s legal or finance committees, making the city government a guarantor for these loans.
Germoso expressed deep concern about these decisions, arguing that they violate basic accounting principles and could jeopardize the city’s financial health. He pointed out that the approval of the investment certificate did not align with the city’s quarterly financial and budgetary closing and failed to adhere to the principle of diversification, as all funds would be invested with a single administrator.
The councilor also highlighted the lack of transparency in the process, noting that the documents related to both financial transactions were only provided to council members at 11am, just one hour after the session began, and without any supporting documentation to facilitate proper oversight.
Germoso concluded by stating that these actions raise serious questions about the financial management of the city and the transparency of municipal officials.
Mayor Ulises Rodríguez has continued to lead the municipality to the top spot in the Municipal Level of the Public Administration Monitoring System (SISMAP) nearly six months into his term. The city earned an impressive overall score of 95.56%.
According to the latest SISMAP report released in October, Rodríguez’s administration has demonstrated exceptional efficiency, scoring a perfect 99% in services and a strong 92.12% in internal management. These results underscore the mayor’s unwavering commitment to improving municipal services and internal operations.”
Read more in Spanish:
Noticias SIN
N Digital
24 October 2024