The Passports Office (DGP) is set to move its main headquarters to the former Teleantillas building on Dr Defillo street in the National District. A first phase lease is being made with the purchase to be made in three years, Diario Libre reports. The agreement, valued at nearly US$6 million or around RD$360 million, was granted through a sole-source procurement process. The monthly rent would be for RD$10 million over the 36-month term. Diario Libre says this procedure raises questions about the selection method.
The move will see the passport agency occupy the renovated structure located at the intersection of John F. Kennedy Avenue and Doctor Defilló in the Los Prados sector. The building, originally constructed in 1982 with two floors and a basement, has undergone significant remodeling, including the addition of a third story built atop a steel beam structure.
As reported, the contract was awarded on 8 July, following a selection process that bypassed competitive bidding by designating Inmobiliaria Reservas as a sole provider. This method of procurement, known as an exception for a sole supplier, is typically reserved for situations where only one company can provide the required goods or services.
The Passports Office’s director, Lorenzo Ramirez, has sought the relocation from the current offices on the Malecón on grounds of requirements for the installation of the high tech and security systems needed for the implementation of the electronic passport. A first relocation site was rejected on Av. Roberto Pastoriza in the area of Naco on grounds it would have created too much traffic in an already congested area.
The government is studying plans to turn the Dr. Defillo Street into an alternate North-South connection for Santo Domingo.
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Diario Libre
23 July 2025