El Siglo newspaper reports that there has indeed been a slow down in the rate of government construction on the mega projects left three-quarters finished by the past administration. Minister of Public Works Miguel Vargas said that his department is receiving less than half of the resources managed last year. He said that to meet the ongoing construction requirements, his department would need RD$14,000 million, and he is only handling around RD$4,000 million this year. He said that his monthly assignment is RD$400 million, but that in January, his department received only RD$157 million budgetary disbursement for the constructions. Vargas commented that his department’s funds have been gradually declining. He said in May 2000, the Ministry handled RD$400 million; RD$458 million in July 2000, RD$319 in August; RD$350 million in September and only RD$157 million in January. This has resulted in delays in the completion of the new Ozama Bridge going up parallel to the Juan Pablo Duarte Bridge, the Avenida Las Americas expressway at the entrance to Santo Domingo, the Autovía del Este highway that links Santo Domingo and eastern cities and tourism areas; the Manoguayabo highway, the new headquarters of the Supreme Court, the library at the Universidad Autonoma de Santo Domingo, among other public works. The government was able to finish the Luperon overpasses.
