Spanish
Santo Domingo. – The Dominican Liberation Party (PLD) raised strong criticisms of the management of the National Institute of Student Welfare (INABIE), following recent reports of irregularities in the bidding and purchasing processes, and demanded that a thorough investigation be opened to identify those responsible and prevent the repetition of practices that directly affect the poorest school population in the country.
In a press conference, leaders of the opposition party stated that the INABIE, with a budget exceeding 40 billion pesos for this 2025, has failed to guarantee transparent processes in the contracting of food services, uniforms, and school supplies. According to their explanation, in several calls for bids, contracts had been awarded to unqualified bidders, reports of arbitrary exclusions were registered, and even allegations of bribes to obtain assignments.
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The PLD recalled that since 2021, claims from suppliers and associations of SMEs that participated in the school lunch tenders have been accumulating under the promise of open and fair processes. However, dozens of appeals were filed before the Directorate of Purchases and Contracting, and conclusive results are still unknown. In the last two years, more than 25 suppliers have even gone to the Public Ministry to denounce undue charges and the exclusion of hundreds of educational centers in the distribution of food, a situation that leaves the fate of thousands of rations up in the air. Added to this are more recent findings by the Comptroller's Office and the Anti-Fraud Unit, which in 2025 detected anomalies in the purchases of uniforms, backpacks and footwear for more than six billion pesos, which forced the cancellation of contracts and the referral of judicial files. The PLD's secretary general, Johnny Pujols, pointed out that these irregularities compromise the quality of a service that constitutes "a social achievement" for millions of Dominican families. "When transparency is broken, the most harmed are the students of public schools, who depend on these programs to feed themselves and study in decent conditions," he warned. The leader asked President Luis Abinader to order the full publication of the files and establish a clear investigation schedule so that citizens know what happened and corrective measures are taken. The PLD also drew attention to problems in other essential institutions such as SENASA and the electricity system, which, in its opinion, aggravate the situation of the most vulnerable population. "It's not just about administrative irregularities; it's about the direct impact on the poorest households, who today feel the weakening of health, food and education services," added Pujols. The opposition party concluded by reiterating that its role is to "defend the achievements of the Dominican people" and to ensure that public funds are managed with ethics, transparency, and responsibility.
