The Public Procurement Agency (DGCP) has recommended that the Office of the Comptroller General suspend all payments associated with approximately 150 contracts signed by the National Institute of Student Welfare (Inabie) for school supplies.
This recommendation stems from an ongoing investigation into potential irregularities in three public bidding processes conducted by Inabie, a division under the Ministry of Education. As reported, the DGCP initiated the probe in April 2025 after detecting signs of foul play in the procurement procedures.
The preliminary findings point to anticompetitive practices including collusion among vendors; conflicts of interest among the tender-winning companies, and discrepancies in the domiciles provided by the companies winning the bids.
The DGCP also acknowledges the winning companies lack registration in the National Supplier Registry (RPE). The DGCP reports there were contradictions in the bidding documents, irregularities in evaluation and award criteria, and incomplete bidding information publication.
The DGCP says it is collaborating with the Comptroller’s Anti-Fraud Unit on a separate investigation. This includes interviews with experts and Inabie personnel, as well as the formal exchange of relevant information from the Electronic Procurement System.
The DGCP says the aim is to identify potential culpability among all parties involved in the bidding processes.
Inabie, for its part, stated that it was they who requested the intervention of both the DGCP and the National Council for the Defense of Competition (Pro-Competencia) in the school supply procurement process. As an additional measure, Inabie has suspended the signing and certification of contracts with the implicated companies and ordered the suspension of all public servants involved in the bidding.
The investigative journalism program, El Informe con Alicia Ortega, aired a report on Monday, 2 June 2025 presenting several of the irregularities in the Inabie contracting.
Lawyer Francisco (Pancho) Alvarez of Participacion Ciudadana, the civic watchdog organization, requested that the Chamber of Accounts audit the Inabie.
Read more in Spanish:
El Caribe
CDN
El Informe con Alicia Ortega
4 June 2025