SANTO DOMINGO.-The Codiano Institutional Committee (CIC) proposed to the President of the Republic, Luis Abinader, the creation of a high-level inter-institutional commission to definitively address the disappearance of public documents in the archives of contracting institutions, in order to resolve the situation that has paralyzed the payment process for 92 files of old debts to State contractors.
The contractors' suggestion was announced by CIC spokesman, engineer Miguel Liberato, during a press conference held on the front esplanade of the Attorney General's Office, where he was accompanied by directors Anibal Rincon, Emiliano Familia, Ovidio Rosario, Nelson Núñez, Samuel Peña and Eugenio Matos.
The CIC spokesperson recalled that this issue came up in La Semanal last Monday, when President Abinader was questioned by a journalist about the paralysis of the payment process to 92 contractors affected by the disappearance of public documents that the contracting institutions generate and must supply to the Ministry of Finance.
Liberato indicated that instead of addressing the core problem of the disappearance of documents, the president merely pointed out that his government has paid those who meet the requirements , without admitting that the real obstacle is the negligence of the very state institutions responsible for safeguarding the payment files.
The builders propose that the suggested commission be headed by a representative of the Legal Counsel of the Executive Branch and also composed of officials from the Ministry of Housing, Habitat and Buildings, the Comptroller General of the Republic, the Ministry of Finance, the General Directorate of Ethics and Governmental Integrity (DIGEIG), the Ombudsman and three members appointed by the CIC.
According to the proposal, the commission in question would have a defined deadline to propose technical mechanisms that would allow the reconstruction of files, the replacement of missing documents, and the elimination of administrative obstacles that have prevented the settlement of debts.
According to Liberato, “the formation of this commission would be an institutional, fair and transparent solution that would put an end to a problem that has dragged on for more than two decades, while reinforcing citizen confidence in the proper administration of public resources.”
Finally, Liberato reminded everyone that on July 28, the CIC formally filed a complaint with the Specialized Prosecutor's Office for the Prosecution of Administrative Corruption (PEPCA) to investigate the disappearance of public documents in several institutions, and complained that to date there has been no progress or official explanations.
