SANTO DOMINGO. – The notice issued by the Dominican Association of Housing Builders and Developers (ACOPROVI), which set a deadline of 3:00 p.m. this Monday, November 17, for its members to submit information on pending projects to public institutions, provoked immediate reactions among other guilds in the construction sector who claim they were not included in the instruction.
The message, sent to ACOPROVI members last Friday the 14th, indicates that, by direct instructions from the Presidency of the Republic, the files of its members would receive “priority attention and management” in the government entities where they remain in process, so it was required to send immediately data such as the name of the company, representative, institution responsible for the file, date of deposit and address of the project.
The communication, written in an urgent tone and accompanied by calls to complete the information “immediately,” does not specify whether an official resolution exists, nor does it detail the mechanism by which the supposed priority would operate. It also does not clarify whether it is a formal agreement, a technical working group, or a specific union initiative.
The excluded
The Cibao Association of Housing Developers and Builders (APROCOVICI) immediately expressed its dissatisfaction, as it had received no prior notice of this nature. Its president, Sandy Rodríguez, questioned the exclusivity of the procedure and requested clarification regarding the criteria used.
"That's what I understand: as a government, they should listen to the concerns of all the institutions that represent the sector. We don't understand why information was only requested from one association, when there are at least five construction guilds in the country," he said, adding that this selective request reflects a lack of coordination.
The confusion also extended to the Association of Developers and Builders of La Altagracia (ADECLA), whose president, Mario Betances, explained that he had not received the notification directly.
In turn, the Association of Builders of Santo Domingo East (ACOSDE) confirmed to El inmobiliario that it also did not receive similar information.
Inopportune
The debate comes at a particularly delicate time for the industry. According to data from the Central Bank, the construction sector registered a year-on-year change of -2.3% between January and June 2025, maintaining the contractionary trend that began at the start of the year, while aggregate GDP grew 2.4% in the same period, widening the gap between construction and the rest of the economy.
In 2024, the sector had closed with a growth of just 2.1%, one of the lowest among economic activities. Factors such as rising material costs, high interest rates, and slow permitting processes have been repeatedly cited by business owners and trade associations as obstacles hindering recovery.
Associations not linked to the notice maintain the position that any government mechanism to expedite procedures must be applied with clear, transparent and equitable criteria.
Builders insist that, given the current economic downturn and financial pressures, it is not appropriate to create differentiated service pathways that could create advantages for some and exclusions within the same sector.
While awaiting official clarification, the unions reiterated their willingness to collaborate with the authorities, but emphasized that decisions impacting the industry must be communicated simultaneously to all stakeholders to avoid uncertainty and inequality.
