NewsWhore
10-08-2010, 04:40 PM
The new Mayor of Santiago, Gilberto Serulle campaigned on making a change after what was regarded as major public corruption by his predecessor, Jose Enrique Sued, but now newspaper reports are questioning major purchases that are being made without public tenders.
Diario Libre reports that the Mayor's office recently purchased 25 Ford pickups for city council officials and 10 Hyundai dump trucks in a RD$71.2 million operation without a public tender.
Even the director general of the Government Procurement Office, Eric Hazim questioned the purchase. He warns that if it does not meet the requisites set out in Law 340-06, the contract could be annulled by the agency.
The official said that all spending of public funds should be done under tender and with companies registered on the list of government providers n a list of 13,500 providers and suppliers.
Nonetheless, the spokesman for the Mayor's office, Luis Jose Gonzalez Fabra, defended the acquisition of the vehicles after pointing out that the law on Government Purchases and Contracts establishes that when the purchase does not exceed 5% of the institution's annual budget, it does not have to be submitted to a public tender.
"It is not that the city was afraid to hold tender for this purchase, it is just that what happened is that we are facing an emergency situation because we found this city without any resources to pick up garbage and no vehicles for transporting officials in the performance of their duties", argued Gonzalez Fabra.
He said that the operation had been approved by the City Council during a session last 28 September.
The Ford pickups were purchased from Viamar at a cost of RD$58,275,000, for the city council's departmental directors to carry out their duties.
The vehicles were purchased without a down payment, and payment over 42 months. Each pickup cost US$35,000, including full insurance coverage and full vehicle maintenance.
Meanwhile, the Dominican Alliance against Corruption (Adocco) announced that they were compiling documents relating to the acquisition of the vehicles and the concession of projects by the city's mayor, in order to take them to the governmental anti-corruption department, the DPCA.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#6)
Diario Libre reports that the Mayor's office recently purchased 25 Ford pickups for city council officials and 10 Hyundai dump trucks in a RD$71.2 million operation without a public tender.
Even the director general of the Government Procurement Office, Eric Hazim questioned the purchase. He warns that if it does not meet the requisites set out in Law 340-06, the contract could be annulled by the agency.
The official said that all spending of public funds should be done under tender and with companies registered on the list of government providers n a list of 13,500 providers and suppliers.
Nonetheless, the spokesman for the Mayor's office, Luis Jose Gonzalez Fabra, defended the acquisition of the vehicles after pointing out that the law on Government Purchases and Contracts establishes that when the purchase does not exceed 5% of the institution's annual budget, it does not have to be submitted to a public tender.
"It is not that the city was afraid to hold tender for this purchase, it is just that what happened is that we are facing an emergency situation because we found this city without any resources to pick up garbage and no vehicles for transporting officials in the performance of their duties", argued Gonzalez Fabra.
He said that the operation had been approved by the City Council during a session last 28 September.
The Ford pickups were purchased from Viamar at a cost of RD$58,275,000, for the city council's departmental directors to carry out their duties.
The vehicles were purchased without a down payment, and payment over 42 months. Each pickup cost US$35,000, including full insurance coverage and full vehicle maintenance.
Meanwhile, the Dominican Alliance against Corruption (Adocco) announced that they were compiling documents relating to the acquisition of the vehicles and the concession of projects by the city's mayor, in order to take them to the governmental anti-corruption department, the DPCA.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#6)