They claim that delays in authorizations increase financial costs, disrupt the scheduling of works, and force a reorganization of the work when rain prevents meeting the planned deadlines
SANTO DOMINGO – A group of engineers denounced difficulties in obtaining permits for concrete pouring in the National District, due to the deadlines and requirements imposed by the National District City Hall (ADN) and the National Institute of Transit and Land Transportation (Intrant). They stated that this situation is causing delays and additional costs for construction projects.
The professionals explained that the procedure requires processing two separate authorizations. However, Intrant does not issue its permit until it receives approval from the city council, which creates problems when the municipal document arrives with little advance notice.
In that context, businessman Jochymin Pérez, of JPerez Constructores and who is also a board member of the Dominican Association of Housing Builders and Promoters, Acoprovi, indicated that he has not personally experienced these setbacks, although he assured that several of his colleagues have filed complaints about the obstacles they face.
“I’m not currently involved in the demolition process, so I don’t have any complications, but you do know that I belong to the board of directors of the Association of Housing Builders and Developers and I also belong to a committee that exists to deal with issues of members, and this has been a very recurring issue in the complaints filed by the members,” he said.
According to testimonies, the City Hall authorization must be requested using a form at least 48 hours in advance and is free of charge. However, the institution can send the approved document up to one day before the operation, which reduces the time available to complete the second step.
Once that approval is received, those responsible for the construction must submit another application to Intrant and pay RD$500 for the service. In this regard, the engineers questioned why the transit authority requires the document to be processed 10 days in advance, given that its issuance depends on municipal authorization.
In this regard, Pérez pointed out that there is a difference between the deadlines set by both entities and considered that the processes are not properly coordinated.
“If one place tells me it’s two days before, and the other tells me it’s 10 days before, how do we achieve that?” he said.
They denounce the temporary suspension of permits
Adding to the problems with response times and requirements is a complaint from a construction professional who preferred to remain anonymous. He stated that no permits for concrete pouring had been issued in the National District for a week.
According to his account, when he went to Intrant he was informed that the applications were in the office of the new director and that, for the moment, the authorizations were not being issued.
He also attributed the delays to internal staff changes and noted that, according to the information he received, around 70 applications were being processed since Sunday night, with the expectation of releasing them during the past Monday.
The professional also said that, given the lack of approval from Intrant for a scheduled pour, staff from the institution came to the construction site and allowed the work to continue after proof of the procedures carried out was shown.
According to their version, this possibility would be applied to those who have not yet received the document from the transit authority, provided they can present the authorization from the National District City Hall, the application submitted to that entity and the corresponding proof of payment.
If confirmed, this measure would represent an alternative for maintaining some operations while pending procedures are completed. However, the scope and conditions of this procedure must be confirmed by the relevant authorities.
Delays that increase construction costs
Beyond the administrative difficulties, the complainants warned that the delays have economic consequences for the sector, especially because many projects are carried out through interim loans, whose financial costs continue to accumulate even when work has to stop.
Referring to this impact, Pérez argued that the delays represent considerable expenses for those responsible for the buildings.
“Remember that we work with interim loans, and a single day of financial costs amounts to hundreds of thousands of pesos,” he stated.
Added to this is the logistics required for each concrete pour, which involves concrete mixer trucks, equipment, personnel, and prior coordination to transport and place the material at the construction site.
“When there is a logistical operation set up for an emptying, it involves something bigger; it is an industry that is in process in a remote area, and it moves to the place where it is placed,” he explained.
For that reason, the leader considered that bureaucratic obstacles affect the efficiency of operations and can translate into additional expenses for builders.
Rain forces rescheduling of the emptying
Another factor that complicates planning is the date changes caused by weather conditions. When rainfall prevents the excavation from taking place on the scheduled day, those in charge of the project may have to obtain authorization again to carry out the work on another day.
According to information shared by the complainants, this situation represents an additional difficulty, since they would have to repeat the procedure before Intrant and wait again for approval, up to 10 days in advance, as they indicated.
Consequently, engineers argue that this requirement limits the responsiveness of construction companies, since the weather can change in a short time and force modifications to the logistics plan.
Furthermore, they indicated that, given the wait involved in restarting the process, some workers choose to carry out the emptying the following day without requesting a new authorization, according to the reports they have received.
Critics criticize curfew restrictions
The professionals also criticized the time restrictions for concrete pouring, which, they explained, are only allowed between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.
In their opinion, the application of this provision adds pressure to the operations, since, according to their testimonies, agents of the General Directorate of Traffic and Land Transportation Security (Digesett) appear shortly before 5:00 p.m. to warn that the work must end at that time.
This situation, they indicated, hinders the development of the work, especially when there are delays in starting operations or unforeseen events occur during the placement of the concrete.
They question the application of the municipal resolution
On the other hand, Pérez questioned the interpretation of City Council resolution 6307, which, he explained, is being used as a basis for requiring permits from concrete mixer trucks that carry out concrete pouring, because these operations involve the use of public roads.
To illustrate his point, he compared this requirement to the unloading of goods by delivery trucks at supermarkets and grocery stores. In that regard, he asked why different requirements apply to the transport and unloading of concrete.
“A Coca-Cola truck is going to unload at a supermarket or a corner store, it occupies the road, right? But they aren't asked for a permit. The cement mixer truck that's going to unload concrete is being asked for, being forced to get, a permit,” he said.
Based on this comparison, the leader considered that the current procedures have administrative deficiencies that must be reviewed to guarantee a more efficient service.
“They are putting an obstacle in my way where the State is penalizing me for its inefficiency,” he said, referring to the difference in the timeframes required to obtain the authorizations.
They are asking for a review of the procedures
Given this situation, the engineers believe it is necessary for the City Council and Intrant to review the processing mechanisms, harmonize the issuance deadlines, and establish alternatives that allow them to respond to programming changes caused by rain and other unforeseen events.
In his view, the lack of coordination between the two institutions ends up passing the consequences of bureaucratic delays on to the builders, with repercussions on costs and on the progress of projects in the National District.
Finally, although he clarified that he has not personally faced these problems, Pérez reiterated that he is aware of the complaints of several colleagues who have had difficulties obtaining the necessary permits for concrete pouring.
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