He explained that through a new platform launched by the entity, the workload is being distributed among staff in the various regions.
SANTO DOMINGO.- Vivian Reyes, Vice Minister of Standards, Procedures and Regulations of the Ministry of Housing, Habitat and Buildings (Mivhed), reported that this department continues to reinforce its customer service staff, in order to attend to requests for licenses and construction procedures in a timely manner and offer responses in accordance with the time established by decree.
In a conversation with El Inmobiliario the official explained that on more than two occasions, staff has been reinforced in locations where the demand for construction permits has increased, such as Santiago de los Caballeros and Punta Cana.
He explained that through a new platform launched by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development (MIVHED), the workload is being distributed among staff in the various regions, and that previously only the National District absorbed the applications, which, regardless of their location, had to be processed in Santo Domingo.
“That means we had structures that we inherited from Public Works, one in San Francisco de Macorís, one in La Vega, one in Santiago, one in Punta Cana and one in the District, but not all of them have the same workload, which meant that some were perhaps overloaded and others were very overburdened,” he noted.
He stated that some regional offices, such as La Vega, San Francisco, and Santiago, were not using the platform, which was only being used by the National District and Punta Cana. “It was installed nationwide, and we are now using it to connect with the other institutions.”.
He explained that in the case of Santiago, it was not available because it lacked fiber optics and there was insufficient internet stability, a situation that has now been overcome.
“It began implementation in February of last year, but like any new program, it takes time. The platform allows us to start from scratch each year; in the case of 2024, they have processed more than 400 files without any errors,” Reyes stated.
He reiterated that the workload is already being distributed nationwide. “If I have staff who are available, it doesn't matter which region they're in because they're already connected; they can work on permits from anywhere because the workload will be distributed equitably.”.
He explained, however, that priority is given to working on cases in each region within its own boundaries, and that in November of last year there was a significant reinforcement in Santiago and last week in Punta Cana, which are the two regions where the largest number of real estate projects are currently being built, apart from the National District.
A warning light
Vivian Reyes stated that all licenses submitted in 2023 were processed and that it is a two-way process. “It's pointless for the Ministry to respond within four days in a technical area, which is the maximum time allowed, if the user waits six months without providing feedback or making corrections; the project cannot move forward.”.
He explained that to avoid delays, the new platform includes a traffic light system with the maximum times that reviewers have to respond to a project, and it turns yellow the day before delivery to the user.
“That user has to respond to the same extent. The maximum is 120 working days for complex projects and 60 days for non-complex ones, but we are not obligated to do the impossible,” Reyes stated.
