If the company is in the process of obtaining its environmental license or permit, they must require a certification stating the status of their application for a license or permit to extract the material.
SANTO DOMINGO.-Within the framework of the Dominican State's Green Public Procurement Policy, the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources and the General Directorate of Public Procurement (DGCP) issued a joint circular instructing institutions to certify the legal origin of aggregates used in public works projects.
This measure seeks to contribute to compliance with current environmental regulations and to promote that public procurement procedures for the execution of works are carried out in accordance with the principles of traceability, sustainability and legality, in compliance with Decree No. 617-22, which declares the promotion of sustainable and inclusive public procurement to be of national interest , as well as the Green Procurement Policy.
The document was recently signed by the Director General of Public Procurement, Carlos Pimentel, and the Minister of the Environment, Paíno Henríquez, who emphasized that “transparency, compliance and integrity have been a call and a firm guideline of this government administration, in response to the demands of our society.”
Carlos Pimentel, general director of Public Procurement and Paíno Henríquez, minister of Environment and Natural Resources. (External source).
For his part, Pimentel stated that every public purchase with environmental criteria is an investment in the future of the country.
The circular establishes that, when preparing the terms and conditions for any works contracting process, public institutions must require bidders, prior to signing the contract, to provide the environmental authorization of the company that will supply the aggregates.
Furthermore, it stipulates that, if the company is in the process of obtaining its environmental license or permit, they must require a certification stating the status of its application for a license or permit for the extraction of the material and a copy of its last provisional authorization that has been issued in favor of the company, in accordance with Resolution No. 0009/2021, which contains the procedure for granting environmental authorizations for non-metallic mining throughout the national territory.
In accordance with laws 64-00, 123-71 and 146-71, this environmental authorization is required for non-metallic mining activity throughout the country, including the extraction of materials from the earth's crust such as sand, gravel, pebbles and stone, intended for construction.
Similarly, institutions must include technical specifications that promote sustainability, taking into account the recommendation sheets provided in Annex 3 of the Green Public Procurement Policy.
This joint initiative represents a significant step forward in the fight against illegal mining and the protection of water resources and ecosystems in the Dominican Republic.
