Tomorrow, Tuesday, September 5, 2023, MIVHED is scheduled to begin the induction process, to guide the group of professionals in the process of implementing the technical-private supervision.
SANTO DOMINGO.- Engineer Manuel Inoa Liranzo was among those sworn in on August 31, 2023, from the first class of Private Technical Supervisors, the new figure in the Dominican construction sector, created from Law 160-21 that gave rise to the Ministry of Housing, Habitat and Buildings (MIVHED), and who will be in charge of inspecting the country's buildings.
The professional understands that this new model will fill a gap in the industry, which state employees cannot address due to insufficient time; furthermore, he understands that it will help investors, developers, and builders to carry out their projects continuously, without the risk of additional costs due to waiting time for official approval; and that it will leverage the knowledge of private talents who are not linked to the state bureaucracy.
In fact, Inoa Liranzo believes that this measure should be extended to the areas of sanitation (water and sewer systems), process plants, gas and energy generation, where chemical, electromechanical and industrial engineers would participate.
We share the questions that El Inmobiliario asked one of the professionals chosen as part of the first Private Technical Supervisors in the country.
1-What is the job that the Private Technical Supervisor will perform?
Private Technical Supervisors will be responsible for receiving, reviewing and inspecting, in response to requests received from the applicant, during the execution of the different stages of building construction, after obtaining the corresponding building license or permit to start works; guaranteeing compliance with what was approved in the issued building license or permit to start works and with current regulations.
2- Did you participate as an independent contractor or through a company in the selection process?
Initially, the expression of interest requested by the MIVHED established both figures, natural person or legal entity, so we submitted the participation through the company Consultora KNC Constructora SRL chaired by my wife, the architect María Cristina Grullón, a company with more than 25 years specialized in the area of supervision and of which I have been its technical director.
As applicants with more than 40 years of experience, we understood that we complied with the provisions of the Regulation for the supervision and general inspection of works (R-004), contained in decree 232-17, which is any natural or legal person, engineer or architect, registered, selected or contracted by the owner, promoter or executing body and notified in writing to the contractor, to carry out the consulting, advisory and/or technical supervision work of a project or work.
Engineer Manuel Inoa Liranzo with the president of Codia, Juan Villar. (External source).
3-How will the work be distributed, by sectors or by provinces?
The MIVHED will establish the operational mechanism, for which it is inviting us to an induction to guide us in the process of implementing the technical-private supervision, on Tuesday, September 5 (tomorrow).
4-What type of works will you be supervising?
Regulation R-004, in its article 2, establishes as its scope of application all works, both private buildings and public road construction. For the purposes of MIVHED, we will focus on private buildings within its area of operation.
It is important to note that in the processes of building construction, supervisors must verify compliance with what has been approved through the processing of licenses and plans, in relation to structural elements (R-033, ACI-318), masonry (R-027), water and sanitary installations (R-008), parking (R-002), safety and fire protection (R-032), among others.
5-There has been talk of 84 monthly supervisions, is that correct?
The number of monthly projects will depend on the development of private sector investment projects, which has increased over the last three years. It will also depend on the organization established by the private technical supervisor, with sufficient technical support, which in our case we have the backing of the company. Meeting deadlines will always be our goal.
6- To which department of MIVHED will the Private Technical Supervisor report?
Article 96 of the aforementioned regulation establishes coordination with the inspection department, including the submission of detailed reports.
7-What was your motivation for participating?
We have been public servants for more than 35 years in the area of engineering, project execution, management and supervision of large state constructions, in the different aspects (buildings, roads, transport, hydraulics, sanitation, hotels, hospitals, airports) and we feel it is our duty to contribute to the initiatives of transformation and modernization of the management schemes that are being implemented by the current authorities, headed by President Luis Abinader.
8-Were 50 sworn in during this first promotion?
Initially, the goal was set at 50, but expectations and motivations led to exceeding that number; some media outlets report 59.
9- What do you understand is the added value that this new figure will bring to the works?
First, the high demand for expedited stages in ongoing residential and tourism construction projects requires timely attention from the official state inspection service, whose staff would be insufficient to handle the simultaneous requests. Second, leveraging the experience of private specialists who are not part of the state bureaucracy. Third, investors, developers, and builders will be able to work continuously without the risk of additional costs due to waiting for official approval. The Private Technical Supervisor acts as a partner to the Ministry of Housing, Urban Development and Housing (MIVHED).
10-Final comment
“This initiative to accredit Technical Supervisors for buildings should be extended to the areas of sanitation (water and sewer systems), process plants, gas and power generation, where chemical, electromechanical and industrial engineers would participate, as the Ministry of Public Works and Communications (MOPC) and the MIVHED have done, giving participation to civil engineers, architects, surveyors and land surveyors, as an essential part in the development of their project executions.”.
Professional profile
Inoa Lorenzo graduated Cum Laude from the Civil Engineering program at the Autonomous University of Santo Domingo (UASD), with master's degrees in Mathematics, UASD and Business Administration at the Pontifical Catholic University Madre y Maestra (PUCMM), a diploma in Construction Management, at INTEC and English at the Dominican-American Cultural Institute.
He has a substantial resume detailing his experience in managerial positions in both public and private offices, related to the construction sector and infrastructure development.
