SANTO DOMINGO. The new head of the Ministry of Housing, Habitat and Buildings (MIVHED), Jean Luis Rodríguez, stated that the institution is aware that the country has numerous buildings and highlighted the need to strengthen the application of regulations aimed at preventing possible collapses and raising the safety levels of infrastructure.
Rodríguez explained that, although there are rules and protocols aimed at strengthening the safety of constructions, several of these provisions are relatively recent and have not yet been fully incorporated by all actors in the construction sector.
“It’s important to understand that we have many buildings and that the regulations, in many cases, are recent. Previously, they weren’t given much consideration, and it’s important for the country that we take them into account,” the official stated.
MIVHED seeks to strengthen ties with the construction sector
The minister stated that during his tenure he will work jointly with representatives of the construction sector to promote compliance with safety regulations and strengthen the infrastructure that will be built in the future.
Rodríguez noted that he has received support from various industry stakeholders, who have also raised observations and proposals related to the institution's operation.
In that regard, he indicated that the MIVHED will begin to evaluate the recommendations made by members of the sector, especially those related to the supervision of buildings constructed in the national territory.
The official made these statements in response to journalists' questions about the actions he will implement to reduce the risks of infrastructure collapse in the event of a major earthquake, similar to those recently recorded in other countries.
Supervision and permits, among the priorities
One of the main challenges identified by Rodríguez is to strengthen the responsibility of the MIVHED in the supervision of buildings and to ensure greater compliance with the provisions established for the development of the works.
He also noted that streamlining the processes for obtaining building permits will be another priority for his administration.
“Everything related to permitting will be a priority for me. Ensuring that the processing times… improving those numbers to make them as efficient as possible,” he stated during an interview at the National Congress.
The head of MIVHED announced that he has already ordered the institution's response times to be measured to determine how long it currently takes to issue building permits.
“I have already sent it to be timed to find out how long it takes the MIVHED to issue the permits,” he said.
Public works
Rodríguez noted that MIVHED is also responsible for the execution of various public works, including prisons, hospitals, housing projects, and buildings linked to public-private trusts.
Given this responsibility, he stated that one of his objectives will be to accelerate the completion of government projects, with special attention to those that are behind schedule.
“I will focus heavily on finishing those that are advanced and accelerating those that are behind schedule,” he reiterated.
The official considered that the upcoming inaugurations will be an important indicator of the results achieved by the administration, because they allow for a concrete measurement of the progress of public works.
“The MIVHED is a fairly large ministry, and our idea is to streamline things because in government, time moves quite quickly, and the only measurable results are the inaugurations,” he concluded.
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