Dominican Republic halts water tender amid corruption allegations

The Dominican procurement office (DGCP) halted a tender to build a sewerage and reconstruct the Jarabacoa aqueduct in La Vega province in the wake of corruption allegations. 

The official reason given for suspending the bidding process was that the water and sewerage authority in La Vega province, Coraavega, did not submit the pre-construction studies to approve the initiative and that the project code for registration in the national investment portfolio (SNIP) had expired, newspaper Diario Libre reported.

The tender was published on November 7 and the capex was estimated at 7.12bn pesos (US$115mn). 

“The weakness identified is incompatible with the transparency and objectivity that should prevail in all public procurement processes,” the suspension notice states. 

This project was reportedly approved in December 2022, but the bidding process had not started for unknown reasons. 

According to the newspaper, the water authority had obtained 400mn pesos of the total required for the works in this year's budget and had guaranteed that it would obtain the remainder.

The works were aimed at improving the water production capacity and quality in the Buena Vista municipal district and preventing pollution of natural bodies of water due to the emission of untreated wastewater.  

The former president of the Dominican college of architectural engineers and surveyors, Teodoro Tejada, last week called on Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader to act to halt corruption involving Coraavega. 

“Coraavega carries out abusive and corrupt tenders in violation of article 39 for equality rights and [article] 50 that establishes free enterprise, just as the constitution mandates,” he was quoted as saying by outlet De Último Minuto.