Change of contractor delays highway

[NewsWhore]

The Tourist Boulevard of the East, the essential highway linking tourism developments along the east coast was declared a high priority for the Leonel Fernandez government in 2005. Hoteliers provided RD$600 million in advances on taxes. But three years later, the avenue has at most advanced on its first phase. Investigative reporter Alicia Ortega, on her Antena Latina Channel 7 report, indicates that when Victor Diaz Rua was appointed minister of Public Works he rescinded the construction contract with Perco S.A. that had fast-tracked the work, and chose Constructora JM, S.A. to continue the highway that is expected to cost around RD$1.6 billion. Ortega reports this same company has received eight contracts from the Ministry of Public Works, worth a total RD$3.17 billion. She says the Ministry only acknowledges three of these contracts. Diaz Rua justified the awarding of the contract on the base of Decree 697-07 that was issued after Tropical Storm Noel and that declared an emergency situation enabling the contracting of goods and services without tenders. The east coast area did not suffer damage as a result of Tropical Storm Noel. Ortega says that she has documentation that shows that the General Controller's Office disputes the contracting of the construction of the highway under the emergency situation disposition, as reported in Diario Libre.

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