In Punta Cana, a large group of construction entrepreneurs met yesterday, Wednesday, with representatives of the Ministry of Housing, Habitat and Buildings (Mivhed) to exchange views on the various processes overseen by that state agency in matters of construction.
The Deputy Minister of Standards, Regulations and Procedures of the Ministry of Housing, Habitat and Buildings (MIVHED), Francisco Solimán, led the state delegation, where the various obstacles currently affecting the block and cement sector, a pillar of the Dominican economy, were discussed.
The visit
The meeting was chaired by the Association of Developers and Builders of Altagracia (ADECLA), and was attended by the main representatives of companies dedicated to real estate development in the country's main tourist destination.
Although the meeting generally took place in a cordial atmosphere, there were moments of tension with some of the attendees and their complaints about the frequent delays in the issuance of permits for construction projects by the Ministry of Housing, one of the main difficulties that the industry has faced in recent times.
Mivhed officials explained that the delays in building permits are mostly due to delays in other state agencies that are part of the permitting chain.
Deputy Minister Francisco Solimán led the meeting. (External source).
Through statistics they presented alleged evidence of improvements in the delivery system, highlighting the efforts made by that department to expedite the process, an argument immediately rejected by some of the company representatives.
During the meeting, the issue of territorial planning, which has Verón and Higüey at odds, was discussed. The plan for this issue will be published in less than 60 days, as reported last September by the Minister of Tourism, David Collado
"We are going to organize our destinations. Bávaro-Punta Cana needs to be organized," Collado stated.
Both districts maintain a conflict over the management of municipal taxes.
Points discussed at the meeting
Among the points discussed during the meeting were: Issuance of construction licenses, the Single Window for Construction platform and its progress, the process of inspecting works, and the new Construction Code of the Dominican Republic.
Solimán was accompanied by Yira Rodríguez, Director of Processing, Valuation and Licenses; Edgar Pellerano, Director of Private Works Inspection; Iliana Gallardo, Director of Standards and Regulations; and Paloma Cochón, in charge of Processing, Valuation and Licenses for the Eastern region.
The meeting, held at a hotel in Punta Cana, brought together investors, builders, developers, government agencies, engineers, architects, promoters, and others.
A key destination
The eastern region represents the largest tourist destination in the Dominican Republic, through its Punta Cana brand, where real estate projects have grown exponentially, with the development of more than 40,000 housing units in the last five years.
Constant complaints
The various associations that make up the Dominican construction sector have consistently raised concerns about permitting processes, citing delays as one of the main obstacles that has caused the slowdown in the construction sector in recent times, generated by various state entities: Environment, Tourism, Municipalities and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development (MIVHED).
